Perspectives of the stakeholders of the public transportation system on ICT solutions applicability in the Free State, South Africa

Abstract

Information Communication Technologies have recently been adopted by transportation systems around the world to improve their services. In adopting these technologies, the stakeholders‘ involvement and perceptions regarding ICT should be considered. This paper, considering the study area, reflects on the perceptions of different stakeholders of the public transportation system towards the introduction of ICT solutions to the system. The methodology adopted was to understand the expectations of drivers, passengers and operators on integrating ICT solutions into the public transportation system, focusing on mini-bus taxis and Interstate Bus Line buses. The significant results of the study show that ICTs are anticipated and long overdue development to the system but the stakeholders have varying expectations. These results reflect on the priorities of the stakeholders, i.e., passengers yearn for improved service quality; drivers are concerned with their working conditions while the operators‘ interests are profit motivated. This paper highlights the ICT interests of passengers, drivers and operators. It compares passengers‘ needs, in terms of technologies, to improve the public transportations system against what the operators are enthusiastic to provide.