published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

Thesis (M.Tech.: Marketing)-Dept. of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2008. xiii, 135 leaves. / South Africa will host the Soccer World Cup in 2010. About 2.7 million local spectators and 400,000 visitors need to be transferred to and from the 10 host cities in 43 days. This is a huge challenge to the intercity bus transport industry, because the current transport system may not meet the demand for one of the world’s largest sporting event. The purpose of this study is to identify the current barriers to good service quality in the intercity bus transport industry. It focuses on the measurement of service quality and communication. In this research, the literature survey defined the service quality “gap” in this industry, identified the role of effective communication in the service delivery system, measured the variables affecting current service delivery using the SERVQUAL instrument, and prioritized the importance of the factors influencing service delivery in this industry. A questionnaire with 25 questions was designed to collect data. This study used convenience sampling to select 400 passengers as a sample, viz. 348 South Africans and 52 foreigners at the Durban bus station, since Durban is one of the ten host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The data was analysed using SPSS. The results of this research pointed to the importance of external communication in the industry. Specific recommendations are made to improve the productivity, reduce vacancy rate and maximize the benefits to this industry in 2010 and beyond.

Includes bibliographical references. / iv. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Economics, 1996

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-74). Also available in print.

M.Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Phil. / The purpose of this thesis was to assess the impact of the new public transport policy direction, with specific reference to competitive tendering, on the transformation and restructuring of the South African commuter bus industry. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology to guide the transformation and restructuring of the bus industry. This main objective was achieved through the following secondary objectives: A comparison between international transforrnation experiences and the South African bus industry in an effort to develop a methodological basis for the change process; An assessment of the strategic gap in an effort to determine the 'focus of the change process; and The development of a detailed change strategy to guide the transformation process.The policy of spatial separation on racial grounds has played a major role in the development of the bus industry. The industry had shown consistent growth until 1982, but since then a considerable portion of the bus market share was lost to the combi taxi industry. A major conclusion of the study was that the new South African public transport policy is based on international best practices as well as the needs of local stakeholders and the country at large. The focus on integration of planning, modes and resources is of particular significance. Within an integrated transport network the commuter bus will have the opportunity to optimise its potential as safe, reliable and effective mass transport mode. Based on a thorough multiple analysis of the bus industry against various strategic evaluation models, the following major gaps were identified: Ineffective application of public transport modes, especially the commuter bus , in accordance with their unique operating characteristics; Pertinent skills deficiencies at operator and institutional level to successfully manage change in the new competitive environment; Efficiency of the present operations which is well below the required standard to secure tenders; Insufficient knowledge of and preparation for the tender system and its requirements; Insufficient actions to empower members of the previously disadvantaged communities; and Old and ineffective policies, systems and procedures. In support of the strategic gap analysis, various evaluation techniques were used to determine the best possible strategic alternatives. It was found that fundamental change is required to position the bus industry for future challenges. Long term objectives should focus on specific market objectives for the bus in transport networks, gaining of market share, securing alliances, empowerment of small operators and improving effectiveness. The generic strategy to secure tenders should be primarily a low cost leadership strategy. The essence of turnaround strategies should focus on cost reduction, which should largely be achieved through increased efficiency. Other grand strategies include diversification, market development, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Specific short term objectives are to formalise and structure the SABOA Development Foundation as primary vehicle for the empowerment of small and medium sized entrepreneurs in the transport industry and to facilitate further cooperation in the industry to share expertise and resources. Guidelines to adjust operator strategies and to assess empowerment models are also provided to guide operators in the transition process. It is recommended that change methodology be formalised to assist operators in the transition process. Finally it can be concluded that the bus industry can play a leading role in the future transport dispensation if appropriate pro-active action is taken. There is a huge strategic gap between the desired and expected outcomes which requires concerted efforts by the industry as well as the three spheres of government. It is essential that the Moving South Africa strategy be implemented as primary driving force behind the change process.

Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year on developing new urban transport infrastructure (Hannon et al., 2020). At the same time, we know that the transportation network is a crucial determinant of the spatial organization of economic activity within a city. For this reason, it is important to understand the effects of investing in the transport infrastructure of a city on the spatial distribution of the residents of the city, as well as the welfare implications of these investments. In this dissertation, I will explore these questions in the context of a large transport infrastructure investment in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I will then use this setting to study the political implications of these investments in transport infrastructure on the incumbent party that is in office when the investments are made. In the first chapter I study how improvements in the urban transport infrastructure affect the spatial sorting of residents with different levels of income and education within a city. In particular, I study the effects of the construction of a bus rapid transit system (BRT) on the spatial reorganization of residents within the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. To do so, I leverage an individual level panel data set of more than two million residents with which I can describe intra-city migration patterns at a very fine spatial scale. With these data, I employ an instrumental variables identification strategy to study how the increases in commuter market access produced by the new transportation network led to changes in the spatial sorting of residents in the city. In this chapter, I find evidence that the construction of the BRT increased the spatial segregation between high and low-skilled residents within the city. In the second chapter of the dissertation, I quantify the welfare effects of improving the urban transit infrastructure of a city once we take into account the patterns of spatial sorting found in Chapter 1. To do so, I develop a dynamic quantitative spatial equilibrium model of a city with heterogeneous workers. I use this quantitative framework to quantify the welfare effects of the BRT system built in Buenos Aires. This framework, allows me to measure the average welfare gains for residents that were living near the BRT lines before these were built. I find that welfare gains were very similar between high- and low-skilled workers living in the same locations before the BRT system was built, but that gains were very different within skill levels across locations. Residents living near a BRT line in neighborhoods with the lowest share of high-skilled residents saw welfare gains close to 1% on average, while residents living near a BRT line in neighborhoods with the highest high-skilled share saw welfare gains around 0.5% on average. Finally, in the third chapter I study the political consequences of public investment in transport infrastructure for the incumbent party that is in office when the investment is made. In particular, I use the same BRT construction in the city of Buenos Aires to study its effects on the incumbent party’s vote share in subsequent elections after the BRT lines were built. I use a staggered difference-in-difference estimation approach in order to capture the treatment effects relative to the time that each BRT line was either built or announced. I find that the incumbent party decreased its vote share in the districts closer to an opening BRT line in the election prior to the opening, but increased its vote share in the first election following the opening of a BRT line. However, when defining the treatment timing based on the year in which each line was announced, the effects of the BRT line on the incumbent party’s vote share appear to be negative and decreasing with the number of year from the announcement.