POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF ICT BASED DEMAND-RESPONSIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SCHEMES IN THE FREE STATE

Abstract

Reliability and accessibility of public transportation are major concerns. ICT based demand responsive schemes can be the ultimate solution to these problems. Even though Demand Responsive Transportation solutions have always been conventional for cabs to meet individual traveller’s needs, they have not been used for buses and mini-bus taxis in the Free State. Therefore, they can be considered to provide reliable and flexible transportation to meet the public’s momentary transportation needs at affordable rates using taxis and buses. Current accessibility problems like long walking distance to bus stops and long waiting times can be solved using demand responsive schemes and cheaper demand based minibus taxi or bus services would reduce the use of expensive cabs. This would reduce public transportation reliability, accessibility, affordability and efficiency problems, but might not have the same impact on operators and public transportation users. The benefits they might have on public transportation users could lead to immediate or long-term consequences for the operators. This paper aims at evaluating the possible impacts of using ICT based technologies and applications for demand responsive public transportation in the Free State province and how they may impact public transportation operators and users in terms of dead mileage, travel times, intensity of demand in different areas and acceptance of these schemes by the public and operators.