The case for priority infrastructure:a quantification of the benefits to minibus taxis using microsimulation

Abstract

Public transport priority infrastructure like queue-jumping lanes and queue-bypass lanes have been well researched and proven to be successful in reducing delay and improving the overall efficiency of the public transport system. Despite their proven effectiveness when constructed for buses, these forms of infrastructure have not been tested for paratransit vehicles, particularly in the case of minibus taxis which often face challenges relating to traffic congestion and delays. The purpose of this paper was to ascertain the potential net benefits, specifically in terms of delay reduction, associated with the implementation of priority infrastructure at two intersections along two crucial minibus taxi corridors, considering realistic traffic and design conditions. The microsimulation software VISSIM was used to determine the intersection performance measures which included queue length, Level of Service, and vehicle delay. Both infrastructure interventions were found to provide minibus taxi operators with net delay savings at the intersections of up to 6 s per vehicle for the queue bypass lane and over 8 s per vehicle for the queue-jumping lane. The queue-bypass lane, however, showed more consistent benefits. These savings can be significant when priority infrastructure is implemented at several intersections along