Roger Behrens

Understanding Travel Needs of the Poor: Towards Improved Travel Analysis Practices in South Africa

The ability of conventional South African travel analysis practices to analyse adequately the travel needs of the poor is examined. The origins and nature of conventional practices are described, and it is observed that typically their scope has been limited to motorized modes, commutes and peaks. The paper reports on the findings of an activity diary survey administered in Cape Town that extended the conventional scope of analysis. An activity‐based survey method was selected because it typically yields higher rates of trip recall than other methods and is therefore relatively well suited to investigating travel behaviour in its fuller complexity. Selected findings of the survey are presented to demonstrate that travel occurring by non‐motorized modes, for non‐work purposes and during off‐peak periods, is considerable. It is argued that the conventional limitation in analytical scope can create serious misconceptions of the true nature of travel behaviour, particularly of low‐income households. By restricting the focus of analysis to motorized, work and peak period trip‐making, there is a risk of a routine bias being introduced in the way the urban passenger transport problem is understood, and in the nature of the interventions that are implemented as a result.

Shocking Habits: Methodological Issues in Analyzing Changing Personal Travel Behavior Over Time

ABSTRACT This paper examines the methodological problem of analyzing changing personal travel behavior without available longitudinal intra-personal datasets. The findings of a trial retrospective survey conducted in Cape Town are discussed. In follow-up interviews, respondents did not report great uncertainty in their recollection of the amount of the time elapsed since changing behavior. The posited explanation is that the recalled behavior changes interrogated were associated with ‘life shocks.’ Consequently, the recollections of behavior changes—the details of which in themselves are unremarkable and would probably be forgotten quickly—are attached to salient events, and respondents therefore reported no major difficulty in recalling them in a retrospective survey.

Child Independent Mobility in South Africa: The Case of Cape Town and its Hinterland

This article reports upon research conducted amongst schoolchildren aged 7–15 years, and their parents, aimed at exploring independent child mobility in the context of Cape Town and selected towns and rural settlements within its hinterland. The findings of two surveys are discussed. The first was conducted in 2010 and 2011 as part of an international collaborative study on child mobility. The second was conducted in 2010 to assess the prospects of school travel planning practices in the local context. The key findings of the surveys are discussed in terms of how independently mobile children are, how this varies, and how it has changed. It was found that independent mobility varied considerably between wealthy and poor households, and across age and gender. Children from poorer households were heavily reliant on walking (88% share of school trips), and were independently mobile at a relatively young age (67% of seven-year-olds were allowed to travel from school alone). Children from wealthier households appear to have experienced a rapid decline in independent mobility over the past three decades (no seven-year-olds were allowed to travel from school alone), and were heavily reliant on the car (87% share of school trips).

Road capacity change and its impact on traffic in congested networks: evidence and implications

This article reviews explanations of, and international empirical evidence for, ‘induced’ traffic as a result of increased road capacity and ‘suppressed’ traffic as a result of decreased road capacity. In essence, the former refers to new traffic appearing as a result of new road construction, while the latter refers to traffic disappearing as a result of road closure. Despite problems with the available data and their measurement, it is concluded that – with the caveats of either pre‐existing congestion in the case of capacity increases or no spare capacity in the case of capacity decreases – the weight of evidence indicates that induced and suppressed traffic are indeed real phenomena. It is argued that the link between traffic and road capacity is therefore far more complex than previously understood. The implications this has for both urban passenger transport planning practice and policy formulation are discussed.

Transformation of Urban Public Transport Systems in the Global South

This important Handbook reveals that most urban growth takes place in the less developed world and much of it represents over-urbanization – that is, urbanization in which most migrants cannot effectively compete for employment, cannot find adequate shelter and do not have the means to feed themselves properly. Yet, compared to rural poverty, urban poverty is widely regarded as the lesser of the two evils.

Paratransit in Sub-Saharan African Cities: Improving and Integrating Informal Services

Abstract Purpose Sub-Saharan African cities suffer from poor quality transport options, excessive congestion and pollution. The informal transport sector contributes to these problems, but also represents part of the solution. This chapter reflects upon research undertaken to better understand the nature of these services, in the hope of providing insights into possible remediation. Design/methodology/approach Three case cities were studied: Cape Town; Dar es Salaam; and Nairobi. Each was examined by resident universities with respect to the quantity and quality of paratransit services provided, user satisfaction, business models and industry governance. Findings Each city has differences, but there are recurring themes. All are experiencing population growth and increased motorization, which steadily deteriorates operating environments. Law enforcement capability is limited and sometimes impeded by corruption. Operating enterprises tend to be fragmented. Financial resources are typically limited such that vehicle maintenance and replacement suffers. The safety and quality of service for passengers are therefore often poor. The prevalence of paratransit services is, however, such that any strategy to reform public transport systems needs to consider a role for them within a scheduled-paratransit hybrid network. Numerous challenges will need to be overcome for successful integration, but significant improvements to service quality can be made in the near- to medium-term through supporting interventions in business development, operating environment, vehicle fleets and operations. Research limitations/implications Extension of the research programme could yield some significant improvements to operations and financial sustainability, through the piloting of innovative, lower cost technologies based on smartphone and other ICT technologies. Originality/value The chapter reveals that significant improvements to service quality can be made in the near- to medium-term through supporting interventions in business development, operating environment, vehicle fleets and operations.

International case studies of hybrid public transport system regulation and complementarity

1. An introduction to paratransit in Sub-Saharan African cities 2. The state of public transport systems in three Sub-Saharan African cities 3. The nature of paratransit operations 4. Politics, policy and paratransit: A view from Nairobi 5. Approaches to paratransit reform 6. Matatu business strategies in Nairobi 7. Public transport and daladala service improvement prospects in Dar es Salaam 8. Minibus-taxi operator reforms, engagement and attitudes in Cape Town 9. Barriers to comprehensive paratransit replacement 10. International case studies of hybrid public transport system regulation and complementarity 11. West African case studies of integrated urban transport reform 12. Strategy options for paratransit business development and service improvement

Challenges in Achieving Universal Access to Transport Services in South African Cities

Transport is a particular focus of the UN’s ‘New Urban Agenda’, and universal access has been explicitly included. A focus on accessibility has been an important feature in the planning for and rollout of the South African Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) systems—which is also the focus of government spending and policy work over the last decade in the road-based transport sector. However, when mapping progress of the rollout against the ideal of universal access, it is clear that the rollout of BRT systems will remain slow and in a limited number of corridors. There is therefore, the need to introduce complementary initiatives that work with the main carrier of public transport passengers in South African (and many African) cities, the unscheduled minibus-taxis, in order to increase their accessibility for people with disabilities. Such complementary initiatives could take the form of accessible rank infrastructure and passenger wayfinding, accessible fleet renewal schemes, and financial incentives to provide more accessible services within a long overdue reformed public transport subsidy policy. Success in implementing such complementary initiatives would be of interest as an addition to the wider planning to implement the ‘New Urban Agenda’, particularly in the ‘Global South’.