The responsiveness of public transport systems to urban development in the West of Johannesburg

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development Planning, 2016Over the last decade national, provincial and local governments within South Africa have paid considerable attention to the benefits and need for an effective and reliable public transport system to meet the social challenges facing South African cities. The development of public transport systems is viewed as a tool to alleviate poverty and unemployment, as they provide access to opportunities and services previously out of reach. In Johannesburg the Spatial disparities created during the apartheid era continue to divide the city along the lines of class and race, and serve to marginalise low income groups located on the periphery, far from economic centres. Over the last 10 years urban and economic growth in the west of Johannesburg has occurred at a rapid rate giving rise to numerous informal settlements and government subsidised homes. These developments occurred without the development of public transport systems isolating low income residents. This study seeks to examine the extent to which public transportation systems are responding to the growth of new urban and economic nodes in Johannesburg in a manner that supports the interests and needs of the city’s low income residents. The study investigates the cases of the Gautrain and Rea Vaya. The study evaluates the systems through an analysis of the state’s public transportation plans and policies and the challenges and successes of each system, taking into account what are the state’s current and future public transport plans and how are they responding to urban and economic growth in the west of Johannesburg. Through the use of spatial data, the study examines the spatial and economic trends in Johannesburg, the location of the urban poor and the effects of changes in commuter patterns. The study takes into account current and future urban and economic trends and examines the way in which public transport systems can make a positive impact upon the urban poor. This evaluation is done through an analysis of international literature and best practices that can be used in the development of public transport systems that are responsive, effective and reliable. Key respondents were interviewed to examine the impediments facing the development of responsive public transport systems and how this affects low income commuters in Johannesburg. Through the use of numerous forms of data including maps, policy documents and key respondent interviews, study reveals that future transport developments see the Gautrain and the Rea Vaya expanding to the west of Johannesburg. These developments will only occur in the late future, leaving low income residents without a formal means of public transport for many years to come. Low income residents within these regions lack the means to access opportunities and services. Research into the phenomenon reveals that in order to address the challenges faced by the urban poor in the west a more dynamic and integrated approach is required in the development of public transport systems in Johannesburg. These findings provide a critical understanding the development of public transport systems and the impediments that restrict the responsiveness of public transportation development in Johannesburg.MT201