Comparison of travel time between private car and public transport in Cape Town

Abstract

The objective of urban transportation planning is, or should be, to optimise the access to opportunities for all people. One of the factors that defines access is to minimise the travel time between home and both primary and secondary activities. Optimisation refers to the balance between the benefits of reducing travel time with the cost of that reduction. Cost includes operational, infrastructure and environmental costs. However, the reality in many cities is that travel time is often minimised for some users or communities, while it remains relatively high for others. This paper explores the core components of travel time of an integrated public transport system, and compares that with travel time in the private transport system. This is done by using travel time data for Cape Town to estimate the value of time spent on each component of a typical trip in Cape Town in 2013. The paper concludes that travelling by public transport takes significantly longer than by private car for the average trip in Cape Town. It then highlights where to focus investment in the public transport system to move towards an integrated, multi-modal system that can compete with the private car, and thereby become attractive to all communities.

Potential health implications and health cost reductions of transit-induced physical activity

“…Across a number of African cities, bus riders report walking approximately 10 minutes to reach a transit stop, though many walk much longer distances out of necessity (Kumar and Barrett 2008). In Cape Town, South Africa, walking distances to transit are longer than in most cities, with an average of 1.4 km for bus trips and 2.1 km for rail (Hitge and Vanderschuren 2015). In contrast, BRT riders in Bangkok walk an average of just 0.4 km to access the bus, often relying on motorcycle taxis for longer access journeys (Chalermpong and Ratanawaraha 2015).…”

Geographical Modelling of Transit Deserts in Cape Town

“…Similar to Jiao's study, the Cape Town study identified the number of rail and bus stops, the frequency of service for each bus and rail stop per day and the number of bus and train routes. However, based on the South African literature [23], the catchment area per stop was extended from 400 m to 1360 m, accounting for service provision and commuter behaviour in Cape Town.…”

An Ex Ante Analysis of the Planned Transportation Network in the Region of Extremadura (Spain) by Using Physical Parameters

“…Travel time between home and activities usually becomes the main parameter for choosing the transport model [60]; for that, travel time can be used to make comparisons between different modes of transportation [61]. The relevance of time savings has also been found to be a key factor in transport improvement schemes [62].…”