IMPACT OF MINIBUS TAXI SCHEDULING ON ROUTE EFFICIENCY

IMPACT OF MINIBUS TAXI SCHEDULING ON ROUTE EFFICIENCY SOUTH AFRICAN TRANSPORT CONFERENCE 9 -12 JULY 2018 CSIR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, PRETORIA BY: MASUKU SBONISO UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA SIYAZI TRANSPORTATION PLANNING (PTY) LTD

INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND Questions about the affordability and sustainability of BRT networks in South Africa. • 2017; Gauteng MEC said (as quoted by Times Live); “We have already invested around R 15 Billion in the system in the three metros, but Gauteng ridership is not more than 75 000 people per day. [] We have to ask some serious questions. Should we have gone for something more affordable and more viable? ”

INTRODUCTION: AIM To investigate the impact of changing minibus taxi operations from unscheduled to scheduled operations on route efficiency: • • Fleet size – Number of vehicles operating on a specific route. Average daily trips – Total daily trips/total operating fleet. Passenger waiting time – Maximum waiting time represented by departure headways. § Why Minibus Taxi? • Carries more public transport commuters than bus and rail combined. • Existing mode utilising already existing infrastructure (ranks and roads). 50 45 Percentage Users • National, Provincial & Metro Modal Split 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 National Walk Gauteng Private Car Minibus Taxi Tshwane Bus & Train Source: 2014 GHTS; 2013 NHTS; UJ (2016)

METHODOLOGY Pretoria CBD – Hammanskraal route. 5 day field surveys, from 04 h 00 to 20 h 00. For analysis and scheduling, each day was divided into: a) 04 h 00 -09 h 00: Morning period (To school or work). b) 09 h 00 -12 h 00: Midday period (At school or work). c) 12 h 00 -15 h 00: Afternoon period (Work lunch and end of school day). d) 15 h 00 -18 h 00: Evening period (To home from work). e) 18 h 00 -20 h 00: Late trips

RESULTS: CURRENT OPERATIONS Daily Trips For Unscheduled Operation 250 Daily trips vary by day and service. Activity and service vary facility. Daily Trips 200 150 100 50 0 Bloed Mall 05: 00 - 06: 00 Eskia Mphahlele Dr & Paul Kruger St & Boom Paul Kruger St St 05: 00 - 06: 00 - 07: 00 Belle Ombre Lavender Rd & Onderspoort Rd 07: 00 - 08: 00 14: 00 - 15: 00 Facility Name/Earliest Departure Monday (1. 5 trips/veh) Wednesday (1. 5) Friday (2. 2) Saturday (2. 0) Sunday (1. 6)

RESULTS: SCHEDULING Day Maximum Fleet Reduction: 220 to 160 vehicles Headway Minimum (27%). Headway Minimum Increased daily trips per vehicle: Fleet Size 1. 5 - 2. 2 to 4. 75 - 5. 85 (more Maximum Fleet Size than double) Total Trips Average Trips/Veh Current Trips/veh Monday Daily Summary For Scheduled Operation Wednesday Friday Saturday Sunday Units 7. 5 6 6 6 7. 5 Minutes 1. 5 0. 75 1 1. 5 Minutes 16 20 20 20 16 Vehicles 80 80 160 120 80 Vehicles 456 524 760 610 468 Trips 5. 7 6. 55 4. 75 5. 08 5. 85 Trips/Veh 1. 5 2. 2 2 1. 6 Trips/Veh

RESULTS: HEADWAY AND PASSENGER WAITING TIME Monday Headways 35 35 30 30 Headway (Minutes) Friday Headways 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 Morning Midday Afternoon Evening Late trips Morning Midday Time Period Average Bloed Mall Eskia Mphahlele Maximum Bloed Mall Eskia Mphahlele Afternoon Evening Late trips Time Period Scheduled (15 Seater) Average Bloed Mall Eskia Mphahlele Maximum Bloed Mall Eskia Mphahlele Scheduled (15 Seater) Reduced average and maximum headway. Max scheduled headway: 7. 5 minutes (Friday) Current headway vary by facility and day. Min schedule headway: 45 seconds (Monday)

CONCLUSION Scheduling results in: • Smaller fleet; which means no need to purchase new vehicles. • More trips per vehicle; which means improved vehicle utilisation and reduced vehicle down time. • Shorter and consistent headways; which means reduced expected passenger waiting time and improved reliability. Transformation from individual to corporate ownership required to avoid business loss. Further studies required on other routes; financial impact on operators; and ability to integrate minibus taxi with other modes of public transport.

SPECIAL THANKS AND REFERENCES Siyazi Transportation Planning (Pty) ltd Professor C. Venter (University of Pretoria) Aboo, S & Robertson, EJ 2016. “Go Goerge” (GIPTN) – a quality public transport system, elements for consideration. Proceedings, 35 th South African Transport Conference, Pretoria, pp 677 -688. Behrens, R, Golub, A & Schalekamp, H 2016. Approaches to paratransit reform. Paratransit reform in African Cities: Operations, regulations and reform, Chapter 5: pp 100 -124. Brtdata. org, 2018. [Online], available: https: //brtdata. org/location/Africa/south_Africa, [02 July 2018] Ceder, A 2007. Public transport planning and operation: modelling, practice and behaviour. Seedat, I 2007. Implementing the 2007 public transport strategy and action plan. Civil Engineering, September (2007): 13 -16. Venter, C 2013. The lurch towards formalisation: Lessons from implementation of BRT in Johannesburg, South Africa. Research in Transportation Economics, Vol 39: 114 -120. Mabena, I 2017/ BRT a R 15 -billion flop, [Online], Available: https: //www. timeslive. co. za/amp/news/south- Africa/2017 -07 -10 -brt-a-r 15 -billion-flop/, [02 July 2018]