Public transport service design requirements for the changing face of the South African customer

Abstract

Based on the life cycle dynamics of the South African population, the paper investigates the implications of such dynamics on the design requirements of public transport services. The life cycle dynamics considered in this paper refer specifically changing circumstances related to travel patterns, demographics and some social reforms. Several household surveys that include the National Census and the National Household Travel Survey are used for analytical purposes, and therefore, the paper is limited to the dimensions of the respective surveys. The paper attempts to identify the design customer or group of customers and associated design implications. The findings are especially relevant to the refinement of passenger transport design standards.