South and Southern Africa – are disruptive transport technologies ready? An exploration of journey planning tools for urban public transport systems in South Africa

Abstract

This essay engages with the question of whether disruptive transport technologies are ready to meet the needs of the South African context to deliver impactful solutions through the lens of journey planning tools. Through three examples – technology, schedule unreliability, and paratransit inclusion – the essay investigates how journey planners thus far have addressed context-specific considerations to provide tools that can be inclusive of a wide spectrum of public transport users in South African cities. The essay finds that existing journey planners have not addressed these considerations adequately, thereby limiting their ability to meet the information needs of users.