Route distance and travel time variability of minibus taxi operations in Rustenburg

Abstract

Minibus taxi operations in South Africa are characterised by dynamic routing and dispatch decisions mostly made by drivers on the fly. This results in potentially large variability in the routes and travel times that passengers face. It also means that vehicles might incur large variations in operating costs and productivity across the day and across multiple days. There is little evidence available on the extent and nature of this variability in minibus taxi operations. This paper uses GPS data of a sample of taxis tracked in Rustenburg Local Municipality, to determine the route distance and travel time variabilities under real operating conditions. These measures are compared to reference routes to track variations over time for the same vehicles, delivering insights into how much variability individual drivers and vehicles face. The results show that minibus taxis operate with varying distance coverage and travel time across the day and between weekday and weekend. Individual drivers showed varying operating patterns in their distance and travel time coverage. The result indicates the complexity in operating patterns of minibus taxis, a step that is required for improving their services.