Passengers’ informal institutions and the implications for public transport integration

Abstract

Little is known about the informal institutions that govern passengers’ behaviour in a transport system. Informal institutions are the constraints that we impose on ourselves to structure our daily interactions with others. “Pathways for integrating formal and informal public transport: case studies from Tshwane” presented at Thredbo 17, identified the informal institutions of passengers as a barrier to public transport integration. Interviews of 46 participants and thematic analysis are carried out in two public transport integration projects in Tshwane, South Africa. The aim is to identify the informal institutions of passengers and how they influence integration outcomes. Key findings include the identification of three groups. Those who integrate seeking to “escape paratransit’s ” traditions of violence and exploitation for the service stability and lower fares of bus services. The second group of integrators are “public transport optimisers” who balance the benefits and costs of paratransit and BRT objectively. Lastly, “the free and indifferent” refuse to integrate due to traditions of bus unreliability and the flexibility derived from their social capital with paratransit operators. These findings provide new insights about the barriers to overcome to attract new passengers and improve satisfaction on integrated public transport.