Thesis (MScEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Speed-flow-density relationships are the most useful tools in the highway design and planning process. They are useful in predicting the roadway capacity, in determining the adequate level-of-service of traffic flow and in determining travel time for a given roadway. Two-lane two-way rural highways constitute the vast majority of the rural road network in South Africa. Nowadays in the Western Cape and other provinces of South Africa, the speed-flow-density relationships normally used for rural transportation studies are derived from the Highway Capacity Manual, which reflects the traffic conditions in the North American situation. Since the North American traffic conditions may be different from the South African conditions, a need to investigate speed-flow-density relationships on these highways in South Africa arises in order to justify any investment made on these roads. In this context, a video technique was used to collect traffic flow data during morning peak hours on two rural two-lane two-way highways in the Western Cape Province in order to investigate these relationships. Through the use of Adobe premiere C.S 6 software, travel time of individual vehicles and distance headways were measured and used in computation of average speed and average density. Several researchers have developed models to describe the relationships between traffic characteristics on uninterrupted flow facilities. In this study, some of these models were tested using collected data in order to investigate which model fits the data satisfactorily. Statistical methods were used to evaluate the ability of each model to predict the flow characteristics over the whole range of data. Average speed and density data were used through regression analysis to perform curve fitting and testing of these developed models. In the next stage, the model which provided a best representation of the data on each section was selected and through the application of the steady-state equation (2.1), flow-density and speed-flow relationships were established on these sections. The available data were also used to investigate the impact the observation time has on the speed-flow curve and the resulting capacity value. Finally, the developed speed-flow curves were used to determine the capacities of the study sections. These capacity values were used to determine if the shoulder usage contributes in increasing the capacity of two-lane two-way highways by comparing them to the capacity provided by HCM. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Spoed-vloei-digtheid verhoudings is baie handig in die beplanning en ontwerp van paaie. Dit kan ook gebruik word in die voorspelling van kapasiteit, diensvlak en reistyd. Twee-laan twee-rigting paaie maak die grootste deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse padnetwerk uit en vir die beplanning daarvan word van Amerikaanse spoed-vloei-digtheid verhoudings gebruik gemaak aangesien daar nog nie voorheen ‘n studie hiervan in SA gemaak is nie. Video-opnames is gebruik om verkeersvloeidata op twee paaie in die omgewing van Stellenbosch te versamel. Die reistyd en digtheid van individuele voertuie is tydens spitstye waargeneem. Die data is gebruik om te bepaal watter modelle die beste is om die spoed-vloei-digtheid verhoudings vir hierdie paaie te modelleer. Die beste modelle is dan gebruik om die kapasiteit van die paaie te bepaal en dit te vergelyk met die Amerikaanse waardes.

The aim of this study is to determine whether the introduction of a transport economic regulatory authority would serve as a valid intervention mechanism in the Public-Private Partnership of the transport infrastructure in South Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the study focused on the analysis of the concept of Public-Private Partnership, and how it has unfolded in a number of industrialised countries. Much attention was devoted in examining how the Public-Private Partnership arrangements followed by the studied countries influenced the current transport infrastructure management process in South Africa. To deal with the above, a host of macro-environmental variables were analysed in respect of their potential impact on the South African Department of Transport. The establishment of various agencies by the Department of Transport was seen as a consequence of the influence of the prevailing environmental forces. The outcome of the analysis revealed that a sustainable transport infrastructural development is a product of genuine partnership between the public and private sectors. Competition for the market and the significance of such competition in the transport infrastructure were outlined. The main goal of competition within the context of this study is to diffuse the economic power of the toll road industry and the protection of the individual's fundamental rights. The study also unearthed a need to deepen the talent and skills of both public and private sector officials as this would enable them to protect the citizens' right to make well-considered choices in the toll road industry. The study identified a need to establish a transport economic regulatory authority that would control the market dynamics of power relationships in the transport industry. Such a body should be creative and need to have regulatory oversight over transport infrastructure. / Transport Logistics and Tourism / D. Comm.

The study investigates the extent of distributional impacts of labour-intensive road projects using a geographical approach. The aim is to evaluate infrastructural effectiveness. The central premise is that the interface between road investment and economic development has broad implications that are beyond transportation’s basic purpose of providing access and mobility. Communities are motivated by the outcomes and impacts of road infrastructure development in improving the productiveness of the economy, in line with socio-economic development and other multiplying effects. The objective was to describe the nature and delivery mechanisms of labourintensive road projects, evaluate the impact thereof on the project participants and their communities and explore the constraints and challenges experienced by these initiatives. The impact of the Gundo Lashu programme was measured, based on an assessment of programme outputs, outcomes and impacts, to determine whether the project had the desired effects on individual participants and their households. A matched control case study design, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was adopted. The study found that the Gundo Lashu programme had achieved the expected outputs in terms of the total number of jobs created, total road length constructed and maintained. However, the communities’ socioeconomic outcomes and the impacts of the programme on poverty and sustainable livelihoods were mixed. These conclusions re-affirm the notion that the development of rural road infrastructure alone by labour-intensive construction methods, is not sufficient in tackling poverty. While government is focusing on addressing unemployment and skills development through labourintensive road construction programmes, there is a need to ensure proper integration of government services to make a significant impact. Huge deficiencies exist in the inter-linkages between the programme planning process and the municipal planning system and that there are a number of management and planning, structural and functional, human resources and funding barriers to proper planning, implementation and monitoring of projects within the Gundo Lashu programme. Various challenges and barriers emanates from lack of coordination, political interferences and lack of strategic direction. Key recommendations include comprehensive road planning, better project targeting mechanisms, development of guidelines for future maintenance, skills training and capacity development, and resultsbased monitoring. / Geography / D. Phil. (Geography)

M.Comm. / The fundamental purpose of the dissertation was a descriptive analysis and a theoretical evaluation of the petroleum industry and its functions in South Africa, as well as the relevance of toll roads in South Africa. Toll roads provide the opportunity whereby an urgently needed road can be built at an earlier date than would be the case normally. The strategic management of businesses under normal market conditions has been studied extensively. Less importance has been given to the strategic management of businesses affected by external market forces such as quotas, import tariffs, restricted licenses and toll roads. South Africa has more than 200 000 kilometers of roads and more than seven million cars. Therefore demand for petrol has grown substantially over the last few years. There are ten different petroleum companies in South Africa; namely Afric Oil, BP, Caltex, Engen, Exel, Sasol, Shell, Tepco, Total and Zenex and there is no discernible difference between the fuels from the different oil companies. In May 1996, the governments of South Africa and Mozambique announced their vision and their objectives for the Maputo Development Corridor. In particular they expressed their belief that the corridor initiative held substantial opportunities for both the public and private sectors. The Trans African Concession (TRAC) was awarded the concession to develop the corridor. Concession grants the private sector a right to collect tollfees, which are used to service the loans incurred for: designing, construction, operations and maintenance of toll roads in the Maputo Development. The concessioning right usually extends for a period of 30 years after which the road is handed back to the South African National Road Agency. The first of five toll roads opened on the 8 December 1998 between Witbank and Middelburg. Tollfees are collected (R20,60 per car) by Plaza operators, and tariffs are adjusted annually. Toll Roads affect businesses, such as petrol stations, restaurants etc., due to high tollfees. Thereby some motorists use alternative routes. The study focuses on the petroleum industry, and more particularly on the retail of fuel and related products in the Maputo Development Corridor. An external market force in the form of the N3 toll road is affecting this market and industry. Consequently the strategic management of Shell Ultra City Middelburg and other affected businesses have to adapt from the task model to allow for the influence of the toll road. The toll road functions and annually toll tariff adjustments, formed the crux of this study. General strategic considerations are developed in the study to counter the effect of the toll road. Furthermore, a specific action plan is formulated to practically implement these general strategic considerations.

MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / Road transport safety is challenging globally, especially in developing countries, where it affects both road users and governments. The aim of road traffic safety is to ensure a reduction or total eradication of road fatalities and other injuries that are related to road accidents resulting from public road usage. In South Africa, one of the major problems faced by the Department of Roads and Transport is the issue of road traffic accidents. Between 2004 and 2010 the annual road traffic accidents increased to over 500,000 and 28,000 or more are fatal, which has led to serious injuries, as reported by the Department. This study analysed patterns and trends of road traffic injuries and fatalities in Vhembe District Municipality from January 2011 to August 2015. It also mapped road accident hotpots using Getis hotspot analysis and linear referencing in ArcGIS 10.2 spatial statistics extension. The research further established correlation between accidents spots and road design geometry. Factors that are responsible for road traffic accidents leading to fatalities, injuries, and loss of property were also examined. Pedestrian behavioural attitude towards adhering to road safety measures was studied using systematic random sampling, field observation and questionnaires. Finally, the study investigated if there has been any significant reduction in the road traffic injuries and fatalities occurrence rate within the last five years in Vhembe District since the commencement of World Health Organisation; Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. It was found out that most of the accidents occurred as a result of changes in human social behaviour, negligence and indulgence. The passenger road users category is the worst affected followed by drivers and pedestrians. It was found out that road crashes have decreased by 35% since the commencement of decade of action for road safety. The composition of road traffic injuries and fatalities since 2011 shows a reduction in the numbers of victims recorded. An average of 86 fatalities, 326 serious injuries and 701 minor injuries occurred per annum within the study period. There was high significant value (p  0.05) among all the categories of road users understudied. The differences observed were real and did not occurred by chance for the 5year period (2011 – 2015).

Child pedestrian injury and mortality is an issue of significant public health concern in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng, in South Africa. Since there is a paucity of studies in the last decade or more on fatal childhood traffic and non-traffic injuries in Johannesburg, this study aspires to address the disproportion in this domain of research, and provide more recent, and comprehensive empirical evidence over a ten-year period. The overarching aim of this study was to describe and examine the magnitude, circumstances, and neighbourhood characteristics of fatal pedestrian injuries among children (0-14 years) in Johannesburg for the period from 2001 to 2010. More specifically, the objectives of the study were: firstly, to provide a comprehensive epidemiological description of the magnitude, trends and occurrence of pedestrian mortality among children; secondly, to describe and examine the epidemiology of child pedestrian mortality in relation to children as motor vehicle passengers; thirdly, to describe and examine child pedestrian mortality in relation to non-traffic injuries, in particular, burns and drowning; and fourthly, to assess the influence of neighbourhood characteristics on child pedestrian mortality. The study conceptualised pedestrian road safety within an ecological systems framework. The study used quantitative descriptive, and multivariate logistic regression methods of analysis to examine child pedestrian mortality data. The study drew on data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) and the Census 2001. The main findings indicated that black, male children aged 5 to 9 years (11.02/100 000) are the most vulnerable, and that mortality occurred predominantly during the afternoons and early evenings (12h00-16h00 and 16h00-21h00), over weekends, during school holidays, and to a lesser extent, during non-holiday months. In addition, neighbourhood characteristics that reflected concentrations of disadvantage, single female-headed households and residentially stable areas were associated with child pedestrian mortality. The study findings highlight the need for critical action in terms of investment in child pedestrian safety research, and appropriate prevention initiatives guided by stringent evidenced-based studies, and the design of safe pedestrian, vehicular and urban environments. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Child pedestrian injury and mortality is an issue of significant public health concern in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng, in South Africa. Since there is a paucity of studies in the last decade or more on fatal childhood traffic and non-traffic injuries in Johannesburg, this study aspires to address the disproportion in this domain of research, and provide more recent, and comprehensive empirical evidence over a ten-year period. The overarching aim of this study was to describe and examine the magnitude, circumstances, and neighbourhood characteristics of fatal pedestrian injuries among children (0-14 years) in Johannesburg for the period from 2001 to 2010. More specifically, the objectives of the study were: firstly, to provide a comprehensive epidemiological description of the magnitude, trends and occurrence of pedestrian mortality among children; secondly, to describe and examine the epidemiology of child pedestrian mortality in relation to children as motor vehicle passengers; thirdly, to describe and examine child pedestrian mortality in relation to non-traffic injuries, in particular, burns and drowning; and fourthly, to assess the influence of neighbourhood characteristics on child pedestrian mortality. The study conceptualised pedestrian road safety within an ecological systems framework. The study used quantitative descriptive, and multivariate logistic regression methods of analysis to examine child pedestrian mortality data. The study drew on data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) and the Census 2001. The main findings indicated that black, male children aged 5 to 9 years (11.02/100 000) are the most vulnerable, and that mortality occurred predominantly during the afternoons and early evenings (12h00-16h00 and 16h00-21h00), over weekends, during school holidays, and to a lesser extent, during non-holiday months. In addition, neighbourhood characteristics that reflected concentrations of disadvantage, single female-headed households and residentially stable areas were associated with child pedestrian mortality. The study findings highlight the need for critical action in terms of investment in child pedestrian safety research, and appropriate prevention initiatives guided by stringent evidenced-based studies, and the design of safe pedestrian, vehicular and urban environments. / Psychology / D.Phil. (Psychology)

Text in English / An improved roads and public transport system also referred to in this research as road-transport, is strategic to economic growth in countries worldwide. This is why the improvements relating thereto have been prioritised by governments in developing economies such as South Africa. The problem that therefore informed the research in this study is that ever since the improvements on road-transport in South Africa, the implications thereof on the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) have not been studied, to understand the associated dynamics. The dynamics relate to how the road-transport improvements have swayed the role of law enforcement in the City of Tshwane. To unpack the dynamics, the study posed the question: What are the implications of the road-transport improvements on the role of the TMPD? In an attempt to answer this question, the study premised itself on exploring one primary aim, which is: to explore the implications of the road-transport improvements, on the role of the TMPD. To operationalise this aim, the study used three research objectives, which are: to describe the road-transport improvements In South Africa; to explain the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department; as well as to identify factors that hinders the effectiveness of the TMPD. The research used a qualitative approach wherein primary data was collected using interviews. The research showed that road-transport improvements in South Africa can be summarised into two categories. These are traffic improvements and improvements in public transport. The research also found that the role of the TMPD include traffic policing, by-law enforcement, crime prevention, crime Investigation and crowd management. Although the role of the TMPD is regulated properly, the study shows that this law enforcement agency was constrained by a number of challenges. The challenges include: lack of clarity in their crime prevention mandate; limited investigative powers; balancing their enforcement and crime prevention mandates; poor training in crowd management; staff shortages; resource problems; and administrative challenges. To deal with the problems thus requires strong management and leadership within the institution. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)