Track: Transportation and Traffic

Abstract

Over the past decade, the focus on the development of integrated and efficient urban public transport has remained one of the foremost policy agenda for the Johannesburg metropolitan city. Contemporary, the discourse is towards increasing the integration and efficiency of urban public transport modes in the City of Johannesburg. This was seen by the formulation of pertinent policies, strategies and frameworks that pursue to enlighten the development and operation of integrated and efficient urban public transport systems that facilitate the attainment of the so-called smart cities and smart mobility status within the city. This status is regularly perceived as the solution towards all the public transport problems that among other include unreliability and traffic congestion. Conversely, the City of Johannesburg has actively participated in the investment of the first fast train system; the Gautrian which is a high-speed rail network that caters for all three metropolitan municipalities of Gauteng Province. Subsequently, in support of the innovative train system, the Johannesburg metropolitan City also invested in and developed the Rea Vaya; a bus rapid transit system. Yet, the state of connectedness of the rail and road route networks within the city have not been well studied and documented.  Thus, the study aims to delineate the extent rail-network and road-based public transport networks integration between Gautrain, Rea Vaya and Metro bus within Johannesburg public transport system. A phenomelogical case study survey design that applied mixed method approaches to collect spatial, quantitative and qualitative records. Descriptive approach was applied to collect complete and accurate data, whilst the exploratory approach was used to formulate the research problem for comprehensive investigation. Research methods such as crowdsourcing, key informant interviews and social media were applied to gather data for the study. And, data analysis and interpretations were conducted using techniques such as main content analysis, focal statistics analysis and Geographic Information Technologies. Research findings, show that there are some areas where the route networks between the public transport systems are integrated. The great sections of the networks are disconnected. The work recommends conscious efforts in planning and developing rail and road-based networks that are integrated, to promote efficiency of urban public transport systems.