Thesis (M.Sc.) (Operations Research) --University of Limpopo, 2009. / This study is focused on the scheduling of minibus (taxi) transport between the City of Polokwane and Mankweng Township in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. New formulations of integer programming for taxi timetabling problems were presented. The problem is modeled as a single link transit. Hard and soft constraints have been identified. The main objective of the study is to design the best schedule that minimizes the waiting time of passengers and provides better service to the public for taxi transport on the aforementioned link. In this study the proposed solution methods managed to produce a timetable with a non-conflicting set of taxis and no consecutive assignment of one taxi to the trips within a duration time (total time traveled on a return trip between two locations). Local search algorithms such as the Genetic Algorithm are used in the research, mainly due to its flexibility and power to produce the best solution to the timetabling problems. The algorithm starts with a population of a feasible search space. Two operators: mutations and crossovers, were designed in such a way that they do not produce infeasible offspring. / National Research Foundation (NRF) in conjunction with the University of Limpopo.

Diss.rer.pol. Univ. Bern, 1953.

M.Comm. / The Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (TRP) was first announced by the Government in 1999. It was originally recommended by the National Taxi Task Team (NTTT) as a strategy to transform and regulate the South African Combi-Taxi Industry (SACTI) into a “new” taxi industry. Its aims were to improve the quality of combi-taxi transport in South Africa by taking a number of steps, including institutionalising the industry, changing the licencing system, regulating the industry and replacing old vehicles with new ones. Since that time, however the TRP has been plagued by controversy and its implementation has fallen behind schedule. The study‟s key research aim has been to investigate and assess perceptions of taxi associations (taxi owners) with regard to the TRP. The study took place in Temba, near Hammanskraal, approximately 55 kilometres north of Pretoria. Temba is taken as a “microcosm” of SACTI in that it can be regarded as typical of many other areas in the country. A background is provided to the regulatory legislation of the public transport system of the apartheid Government and the general historical and economic development of the SACTI prior to 1994. It deals with the periods from 1930-1976, 1977-1985 and 1986-1993, and then explores the legislative and policy framework of the public transport system of the post-1994 democratic government up to 2008. It introduces the NTTT and its recommendations before analysing the economic effects likely to be felt by taxi associations following implementation of the TRP. The study then presents the results of a brief demographic profile of a sample of taxi owners and operators in the Temba area and identifies a number of factors that influence their attitudes towards the industry in general and their perceptions of the TRP in particular. It assesses the progress made with the implementation of the TRP since its inception and identifies critical issues that have delayed the project. Having been scheduled to span the five years from 2001 to 2005, the date of completion of the TRP was later extended to 2007. By 2010 the project was still only partially complete. Due to repeated delays, the project appeared to be running aground and was perceived by many as a fruitless and wasteful exercise. Indeed, these delays have undermined the goals of transport regulation which, inter alia, were intended to promote the welfare of the public (safety, security, satisfaction, health and protection of property) and to improve the quality of public transport generally. By linking the demographic profile of the taxi owners with the various perceptions, the study has been able to draw conclusions and make findings intended to contribute towards the successful implementation of the TRP and thereby assist SACTI to play a more effective role in the overall transport situation in South Africa. The study concludes that taxi associations in Temba have perceived the TRP to be a good proposal but difficult to implement. It therefore makes a number of recommendations that will hopefully assist in the transformational process of changing SACTI “old” taxi industry into a “new” taxi industry, and so enhance the economic strength of taxi owners and operators, as well as improve the welfare of the users of taxi transport services, not only in Temba but throughout the country.

This research focuses on utilizing the typically overlooked taxi manifest data to analyze taxi operations with respect to transit, and also presents alternative uses for the data in transportation planning. Taxi travel characteristics are explored for Arlington, Virginia, a county containing both urban and suburban qualities. Previous research contends that manifest data can provide valuable quantitative descriptors of taxi travel. This thesis attempts to describe taxi travel by quantifying trip characteristics; the shortcomings of using manifest data are discussed and the results are reported. The taxi operations results are then compared for weekend and weekday travel and also for airport and non-airport bound travel. Several key differences between these groups of taxi trips are discussed. Next, an investigation of the relationship between mass transit facilities and taxi travel is conducted. Because taxis provide a complementary yet competing public transportation service to mass transit, it is hypothesized that examining the proximity to transit options and the timing of taxi trips can provide insight to the perceived gaps in mass transit services. However, the data show that simply examining geographic or temporal characteristics of taxi trips does not define clear relationships between transit facilities and taxi use. Instead, the results suggest that other variables such as land use and vehicle access may hold a greater influence over the generation of taxi trips. Despite the difficulty in using manifest data to determine gaps in transit, the data collected by taxi regulators could have numerous applications for planners. Possible applications for the type of taxi data used in this research are explored and a potential data flow for agencies is proposed. / Master of Science

This dissertation examines metropolitan areas subject to exclusive cruising regulations which prevent taxis affiliated with one city from picking up passengers in other neighboring cities. It examines the regulatory structure that evolved in North America, compares exclusive cruising regulation to a combined regulatory regime, and proposes a market-based mechanism to improve upon existing regulations. The first chapter examines the evolution of regulation of the taxicab industry in different metropolitan areas in North America. It provides an explanation for the prevalence of price and quantity regulations at the local level, and why the industry remains heavily regulated despite numerous attempts at deregulation. The second chapter theoretically investigates the efficiency of exclusive cruising regulation when there are multiple exclusive cruising locations in close proximity. Conventional wisdom suggests it is better to operate a combined regulatory regime, thereby eliminating the empty return trips that occur under exclusive cruising regulation. Under combined regulation, however, drivers have an incentive to be in the location with the highest expected revenue. It is shown that this can undermine regulators' control over the allocation of taxis across disparate locations, outweighing losses from empty return trips. In such situations exclusive cruising regulation would be preferred to combined regulation. When locations are sufficiently similar, it is shown that combined regulation will be preferred to exclusive cruising. The third chapter proposes a regulatory exchange market as an alternative to existing regulatory structures. The proposed mechanism maintains separate affiliations, but allows taxi drivers to exchange the right to pick up passengers in each others' affiliated location by participating in a bilateral market. In this market, taxis can exchange the right to pick up passengers in each others' affiliated locations, for a price paid by market participants affiliated with one location to those affiliated with the other location. It is shown that such an exchange market can be designed to achieve superior outcomes to both exclusive cruising regulation and combined regulation modes. We describe situations where the regulatory exchange market cannot be dominated by any other conceivable regulatory mechanism.

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to establish a new place order in the transport grain for taxis through a design that will suit the urban context. It attempts to render taxis and their associated facilities preferable and acceptable for the city user and bystander. The relationship between time and movement was studied to generate a design concept that depicts the path of the user as an experience of comfort and convenience. A quantitative and qualitative method was applied. The study examined current taxi ranks through case studies, site visits, interviews and discussions. This information was interpreted within an urban scope. The process of elimination defined the urban taxi facility. Certain requirements gained prominence to achieve the aim of a sustainable multi-functional facility with the user as primary focus. The main conclusion was that architects have a responsibility towards the environment, and should design spaces that display a relationship between human and nature thereby creating a new typology for taxi facilities. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

This diploma work deals with Technical and operational comparison of aerotaxi aircraft. I picked out this theme because of SkyService company, which plans to locate upon this form of transportation. In diploma work I attend to basic factors that affect selection of aeronautical technics, also economics and technical calculation

A mini dissertation submitted to the Faculty Of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master Of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is a contributory relationship between the common unwanted behaviour of taxi drivers towards taxi commuters and the taxi drivers’ personality. The study involved 59 minibus taxi drivers sampled from the Empangeni and Richards Bay areas of the Zululand district. The participants were randomly selected in their respective taxi ranks/stations around the above mentioned areas. The Big Five 10-Item Personality Inventory and a tailored questionnaire were administered in an interview format. The findings depicted that the unacceptable behaviour usually portrayed by taxi drivers towards taxi commuters is not caused by the taxi drivers’ personality. They further illustrate that the nature of the profession, which induces pressure on the driver, is one of the main causes of the behaviour. The taxi commuters were reported to be largely the ones who cause most of the conflicts that arise between drivers and passengers. The more experience (in years) the driver had in the taxi driving job the more acceptable and non-provoking his style of interacting with taxi commuters becomes. The reciprocal determinism theory was used to psychologically conceptualise the outcome behaviour of the taxi driver taking into strong consideration his personal cognitive choices, emotions, past experiences and his environment in the work place.

Unlawful, renegade and detached, these are some of the metaphors that can be said to be the summation of the taxi industry. Albeit the taxi system predominantly operates as the chief transport mode, and economic enabler for its users, it still maintains a predominantly degenerate perception. The focus of this thesis is to emphasize how through re-appropriation and re-defining of the formative and descriptive elements of the taxi industry, one can begin to articulate a logical and befitting identity for the taxi industry. The methodology utilized is based on the principals of identity formulation, and programmatically expressive architecture. The intention of which, is to devise a methodology in which architecture can be used to restructure existing systems in a manner, which enables them to obtain a compelling logic. In so doing, the premise is to illustrate how through the use of design, architecture can be molded into a contrivance for formulate identity. The theoretical point of departure of this thesis is to explore the concept of architecture as the catalytic instrument in the creation, or identification of identity. Taking into consideration the degenerate image that the taxi industry has today, and its pragmatic relevance to society, the thesis aims to formulate programmatic and spatial qualities that begin to elevate the perception of the taxi industry. The design intention, aims to explore the measures in which architecture can be used to begin to redefine the taxi industry, through the uses of spatial articulation that represents the marriage between the public, and the taxi industry in a formal, informal and passive manner. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted