Towards a stated choice methodology to determine minibus-taxi driver willingness to provide off-peak feeder service

Abstract

The City of Cape Town has now signalled its intention to use minibus-taxis as feeder services to scheduled trunk services within a hybrid public transport network. Earlier research in Cape Town has indicated that a potential problem within a hybrid system is a mismatch between the service spans of minibus-taxi feeders and those of trains and large buses. This study seeks to determine the viability of interventions to address such a mismatch by assessing individual minibus-taxi operator willingness to provide service. Interventions would have varying implications for minibus-taxi business operations and driver remuneration. The success of efforts to reform the city’s public transport network will, therefore, depend heavily upon the willingness of minibus-taxi drivers (as the key decision-makers with respect to the timing and frequency of service) and owners to provide complementary service under new ‘hybrid’ conditions. Measuring this willingness presents an important policy challenge. Where most choice experiment applications in transportation seek to determine passenger mode choice preferences, this paper will report lessons learned from the development of a specific and unique stated choice experiment aimed at determining the willingness to supply, rather than use, a public transport service. The use of stated choice experiments to determine preference for service provision is rare, especially in the context of paratransit services. The paper discusses survey design considerations and presents first results. Future research, both quantitative and qualitative, is needed to ensure the industry’s voice is heard.