Using accessibility to investigate the level of integration of the various public transport systems within the City of Johannesburg

Abstract

The main focus of this study was to investigate the level of integration between various public transport systems operating within the City of Johannesburg. Accessibility was used to evaluate integration, since integration influences accessibility. Easy access to available public transport from departure points, enables movement between locations and easy reach to goods and services. Two methods were used: the first created 400-metre buffers around the public transport stops, stations and ranks to estimate the service areas for each system and the area served by an integrated public transport system. The population within the buffers was calculated to estimate how many people have access to public transport. The second method used a commuter survey to examine travelling experiences. The results obtained show accessibility varying between transport types: the Metrobus and taxis serve larger areas than the Gautrain, Metrorail and Rea Vaya. However, taxis served the largest population in comparison to all other public transport systems. The results also indicated that the primary public transport systems operated on a fragmented level spatially, with only 0,1% of the spatial area served by an integrated public transport system. The significance of the study was to aid in transport planning. Public transport should be easily available and accessible, so that basic services, jobs and education can be accessed with ease.