Public transport lifestyle: how to promote public transport orientated behaviour?

Abstract

Paper presented at the 31st Annual Southern African Transport Conference 9-12 July 2012 "Getting Southern Africa to Work", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

The emphasis in the transport planning domain is shifting from car orientated planning to public transport first. This is not only reflected in new zoning schemes and parking requirements, but also in funding priorities which have facilitated the introduction of new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors and High Speed Rail (HSR) links in select areas. Despite the positive movement towards “public transport first”, the debate with regard to making it happen appears to be lacking teeth. This is illustrated by the many municipalities that have set objectives for modal shift to public transport, yet then seldom support their objectives with realistic action plans that address the full spectrum of issues that may be associated with making public transport a lifestyle, or a smart choice for the majority of its residents. The encouragement of public transport use, and thus a supportive lifestyle, requires not only the introduction of new services and hard infrastructure but also a series of supporting measures outside the transport domain, such as changes to land use and marketing. This paper defines different areas for improvement which may influence the public transport perception of public transport captives, choice users and the (current) car captives. The proposed improvements may help to position public transport as a logical and smart choice for all.