Thesis (MTech (Industrial Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / This paper is positioned within the broader context of public transportation systems, with specific focus
on the development of urban micro first and last mile mobility solutions, and what it could mean for
individuals and the economy.
Globally, urban problems such as traffic congestion, poor public transport integration, and carbon
emissions are forcing us to rethink traditional means of transport. Large fossil-fuelled vehicles and
limited public transport infrastructure characterize South Africa’s transport market. Despite the growth
in car use, public transport and walking are still the predominant “lifeline” forms of mobility for the vast
majority of South Africans in order to access work, schools and services.
Moreover, the lack of public transport services in key economic corridors and rural areas of South Africa,
the role of the metered taxi industry which is currently effectively limited to serving only the needs of
the tourist market due to high charging regimes, and finally, the absence of an effective inner city
transport system endorses the lack of first and last mile transportation solutions, and the integration
thereof with other transport mediums. This adds to the conflict commuter’s face on a daily basis in
obtaining a seamless distribution of transport services. 80% of trips in urban areas are less than 3km, placing urban micro mobility vehicles in an ideal position
as a solution to transportation. This describes the investigation conducted into micro-mobility trends
within South Africa to identify a key mode of transport that would comply with the stated requirements,
and allow accessibility to commuters within the city and to the surrounding communities.
In 2014, Mellowcabs, which are electric public transport vehicles that provide first and last mile
transport services, was identified as a promising candidate within the local micro-mobility vehicle
context. They were in need of a design input for their immediate next requirement, which thus
describes the development of a good protective side door system that would isolate passengers in
adverse weather conditions, whilst similarly affording comfort and safety features found in normal
passenger vehicles.
The design process is focused on creating a new side door, however, at the same time the product
should be, elegant, smart, fashionable, comfortable, economical, maneuverable and safe. In addition,
the virtual product lifecycle management tool, CATIA, allows the design team to get feedback in terms of
physical-based data that correspond to how the door could hinder the passengers interaction while they
ingress and egress the vehicle. This enables us to try various designs to perform a comparative study
without building a single physical prototype.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/2468 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | de Vos, Neil |
| Contributors | Petersen, Michael, M’Rithaa, Mugendi |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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