The design of a taxi mini-bus transport interchange for central Mthatha, Province of the Eastern Cape

Public transportation, i.e. busses and minibus taxis provide an essential service to the public, especially low-income groups as they service a greater portion of this population, offering several benefits such as accessibility, cost, reduced travel time, etc. The taxi industry, particularly in South Africa was previously highly unregulated and a marginalized public service. However, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders and critical review of the issues involved, a change in that regard is imminent. The focus of this treatise is the design of a multi-modal public transport hub and traders' market in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The treatise emerges from a concern with the inadequacies related to provisions for public transportation and informal trading in South Africa and the implication of those inadequacies on the urban environment. Firstly, the research attempts to understand the role of transport in South African towns and cities, with specific focus on the spatial urban character of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, using various literature sources to support theoretic viewpoints. Secondly, it will analyze the essential nature of public transportation hubs in Mthatha and their role within the urban context, achieved through extensive on-site data gathering, field work, interpretation and analysis. Thirdly, it will explore and resolve the architectural issues involved in the design of a new multi-modal transport hub and traders' market in the town of Mthatha through exploration of precedents within the discourse. An investigation of all the regulations, guidelines and by-laws governing public transport and “informal” trade in South Africa will be conducted. Finally, through research, formulate a background or a theoretical discourse against which Henri Lefebvre's (1974) theory of 'Production of space' will be discussed, as a way of supporting the premises put forward in this treatise. The architecture that emerges from the research and design process is to be cognizant of local culture, heritage, identity and place through an awareness of the need for sustainable design and building techniques to produce appropriate architectural responses