Since time in memorial, mobility by humans has been a major activity which has undergone a lot of transformation. During the ancient times, people moved from one place to another for various reasons using different methods. Modernisation has brought along a new dimension of commuting from one place to the other. Unlike the olden times when commuters used to walk long distances with the help of stars, clouds and other natural landmarks to navigate their way to the desired destinations . The invention of a wide variety of modes of commuting has brought about different choices of which mode to use with certain factors being the influence of such choices. The study has explored a wide variety of issues pertaining to the factors which influence commuters in the North West Province particularly in the Mafikeng area and among other things, source of income, status in society, speed, affordability and age have been thoroughly investigated in order to come up with the influencing factors. The research revealed that the majority of commuters who utilize both public and private commuting modes are of the school going age which is below 20 years. That means this category of commuter has a great influence on the commuting sector. Other factors that influence the choice of mode are age and income. Also, weather can have an impact on the service provided and therefore, cause disruptions. On the other hand, government needs to be in partnership with private service providers. It will regulate public transport and overhaul the entire road infrastructure. The researcher recommends that both government and the public sectors need joint effort in order to effectively respond to the challenges of providing an effective and efficient transport system recommendations have further been made regarding the issue so that the identified gaps may be sealed to have a smooth running system. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

This study is intended to unpack the current and potential future commuter transport requirements in Kagiso Township within the context of transport planning and the ongoing transformation of the transport sector in South Africa. In order to meet the above challenges, it was felt that an investigation of the socio-economic profile of transport users in Kagiso Township was required, which would be indicative of potential needs and requirements in terms of current and future travel infrastructure. This study is significant, as it considers the impact of socio-economic factors and transport interactions by fully examining the impact of accessibility, urban development patterns, local mobility and planning. Mogale City’s Kagiso Township was selected for in-depth study because it has seen one of the highest urbanization rates in Gauteng Province, with people from all over Gauteng relocating to this suburb, either buying relatively moderately priced housing via mortgaging or, alternatively, trying to gain access to government low-cost housing. The study investigates the connection between socio-economic characteristics of a local population (inter alia, age, gender, household size, and vehicles per household, employment status and income) and their transport requirements (travel demand forecasting), within an urban transport context. Socio-economic characteristics of a population are important in transport demand forecasting because there is a general belief in transport planning that the predisposition to travel and trip generation vary with the characteristics of the traveller. A travel demand forecasting model by Bussière and Rice (1999) is used for the purposes of simulating existing and future travel patterns. The forecasted household mobility and needs of commuters in Kagiso Township are compared with current municipal plans to see whether such plans are realistic and can address existing needs. The evaluation of the current municipal plans is included to test the responsiveness of public policy and practice towards the needs of the affected local community. This evaluation extracted information on whether the relevant municipality has identified the problems and issues affecting the local community of Kagiso Township. In addition, it assessed whether the municipality has identified possible solutions to these problems and issues and whether it has prioritised any projects to improve transportation in Kagiso Township.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts At the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg 2016 / This study explored the subjective experiences of a population who appear to be at relatively high risk of potential violence and harm, specifically female university students who are compelled to commute by taxi on a daily basis. The study aimed to explore and document the psychological experiences of these female university students including their anxieties, levels of traumatic stress related responses, cognitions and fantasies, and conscious and unconscious adaptations to their circumstances. It was hoped that information gleaned would contribute to, and possibly expand the understanding of what the lived experience of Continuous Traumatic Stress (CTS) might entail. In order to investigate the research questions, ten students who were identified as being compelled to use minibus taxis as their primary mode of transport to and from university participated in semi-structured interviews on the topic of their experiences in this space and how they adapt to and survive in their circumstances. The study was located in the qualitative research tradition and the interview transcripts were analysed using critical thematic analysis. The main themes were identified and presented under four sections; exposure to traumatic events, the effects and impacts of these events, managing and coping, and gender related experiences in the taxi commuting space. Exposure to traumatic events included taxi driver aggression, motor vehicle accidents, crime and violence, xenophobic attacks and gender related trauma. The most prominent effects or impacts that were identified were firstly, anxiety, fear and preoccupation with danger and secondly, numbing, resignation and hopelessness. The tactics which were employed by participants in managing and coping with their circumstances included, prayer and observation and management of their commuting environment. It was through observation and self-management that participants practiced strategies that allowed them some measure of control in terms of how they conducted themselves in the taxi commuting space. Under the final section, participants revealed their gender related experiences reporting a sense of being exploited, being subject to sexual harassment, and the constant fear of rape or sexual violation. The links between these participants’ experience and the concept of CTS are presented and it is argued that many aspects of their experience appear consistent with CTS. / GR2017

This study investigates the concessioning of the commuter rail subsystem, which was discussed in the White Paper on National Transport Policy. The theoretical divide between private and public sector enterprise is investigated in terms of a principal-agent approach. The hypothesis underlying the fundamental shift of services traditionally provided by government enterprise to the private sector is X-efficiency gains under a concession regime. There are, however, potential challenges under a concession regime that must be anticipated. Challenges are identified in terms of an incomplete contract approach with its underpinning source manifested in a bounded rationality concept. The study investigates how rail concessionaires are regulated under a concession regime from an economics perspective and various price mechanisms are explored. The study provides strategies to deal with challenges under a rail concession regime with a view to minimising conflicts that will arise between the parties involved in a concession agreement. / Transport, Logistics & Tourism / M.Comm.(Transport Economics)

This study investigates the concessioning of the commuter rail subsystem, which was discussed in the White Paper on National Transport Policy. The theoretical divide between private and public sector enterprise is investigated in terms of a principal-agent approach. The hypothesis underlying the fundamental shift of services traditionally provided by government enterprise to the private sector is X-efficiency gains under a concession regime. There are, however, potential challenges under a concession regime that must be anticipated. Challenges are identified in terms of an incomplete contract approach with its underpinning source manifested in a bounded rationality concept. The study investigates how rail concessionaires are regulated under a concession regime from an economics perspective and various price mechanisms are explored. The study provides strategies to deal with challenges under a rail concession regime with a view to minimising conflicts that will arise between the parties involved in a concession agreement. / Transport, Logistics and Tourism / M.Comm.(Transport Economics)

People without private transport are dependent on public transportation. Public transport, particularly minibus taxis, is the most popular mode of transport in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. The objective of the minibus taxi industry is to provide public transport to minibus taxi commuters in an economically, reliable and safe manner. The focus of this case study was to explore and determine the views of minibus taxi commuters who utilised minibus taxis as a form of public transport, as well as the views of minibus taxi drivers in terms of adhering to road safety requirements on Stanford Road in Port Elizabeth. The literature survey revealed that transport in South Africa has had a political dimension arising from the Group Areas Act 41 of 1950. One consequence of this Act, which imposed residential segregation on the country, was that poor black commuters were forced to live far out of town, forcing them to travel long distances to places of work and commercial centres, with a commensurate increase in transport costs. Data was collected by means of two structured questionnaires which were administered to minibus taxi drivers and minibus taxi commuters to explore their views and experience of road safety on Stanford Road in Port Elizabeth. A discussion on the minibus taxi industry, minibus taxi associations and law enforcement agencies in Port Elizabeth, as well as the sustainability of the minibus taxi industry, followed in Chapter Three. Through this case study, valuable insight was gained regarding the minibus taxi industry and road safety in Port Elizabeth. Finally, recommendations to improve road safety were made.