Mapping minibus-taxi operations at a metropolitan scale – methodologies for unprecedented data collection using a smartphone application and data management techniques

Abstract

Paratransit forms the basis of public transport systems in many of worlds emerging cities. However, there is limited information available on the extent of operations, the route network and passenger demand. Manual passenger counting techniques alone do not provide sufficient information on the extent of network coverage and passenger turnover for the routes on a network. Exploring techniques and methodologies to collecting data on paratransit operations using mobile technology helps us get an informed picture of the transportation system, and helps us make smarter choices when it comes to improving the existing system. Application of mobile technology to collect paratransit data in emerging markets has enabled the development of new data sources. These data sources help discover the extent of network coverage and enable the profiling of routes on the network from the collected passenger information. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a methodology on the application of mobile technology to conduct on-board vehicle surveys for paratransit services. The mobile application collects route traces, stop location, and individual trip boarding ad alighting pairs. On-board surveys were carried out on a city-wide-basis by field teams making use of a mobile application for data collection on operations and passenger activity along an estimated 800 licensed minibus taxi routes in the Cape Town municipal area using the prescribed methodology. The paper further demonstrates a custom- data management platform for analysing and visualising the data collected using the mobile application