Abstract:
Paratransit plays a vital role in passenger transport in African cities. Several cities are
searching for ways of incorporating minibus-taxis (MBTs) into integrated public transport
networks (IPTNs), rather than attempting to replace them through fleet buy-out and
formalisation – a process that has frequently led to lengthy periods of negotiations with
MBT operators, followed by an impasse or continued on-the-road competition with new
IPTNs. Of the many questions that need to be answered, key is whether workable models
of hybrid operations (i.e. combining both services with informal characteristics, and formal
bus operations) can be found. The Rustenburg Local Municipality (RLM) has recently
adopted a flexible IPTN system design approach with reduced PT infrastructure, that
incorporates existing MBTs as a part of the transition towards a fully-fledged IPTN, in both
formal and informal types of operation. This offers a learning opportunity to help
understand the potential benefits and pitfalls of such hybridisation. The paper briefly
describes the design approach and MBT contracting model for incorporating existing MBT
operators in RLM. It then focuses on the evidence regarding selected key operational
measures that affect the quality of the hybrid system: operational schedule reliability, in-
service speeds, and route adherence, which could be assessed from GPS tracking of
participating MBTs. The paper concludes with some implications for other medium-sized
cities transitioning towards upgraded IPTNs.
