Public Transport Route Optimisation Methodology in South Africa

Abstract

During the last few decades public transport demand patterns in South African metropolitan areas have changed considerably due to market forces such as urban decentralisation and informal settlement on the urban fringes. Public transport services did not respond to these changing demand patterns in an optimal way and great potential exists to optimise the route network of bus and minibus taxi services. In view of changing demand patterns and the need for metropolitan authorities to develop an integrated multi-modal public transport plan in terms of the new National Land Transport Bill, three authorities applied a public transport route optimisation model to assist in the optimisation of bus and taxi route networks. The DHV Route Optimisation model, developed in the Netherlands, was transferred to South Africa for these studies. The model determines the most optimal set of road based routes, subject to resource constraints, by minimising the total travel time and number of transfers between routes. The paper defines the need for route optimisation in South Africa, describes the DHV model and adjustments made to suit South African conditions, and presents the main results of the route optimisation studies conducted in the Greater Pretoria, Khayalami and Port Elizabeth metropolitan areas. Finally, recommendations are made regarding the route optimisation methodology to be adopted in South Africa in view of lessons learned from the three applications.