christo venter associate professor christo.venter@up.ac.za university of pretoria

1www.codatu.org www.cemt.org

CODATU XIIDECENTRALIZED COOPERATION FOR URBAN TRANSPORT: EXPERIENCING DIRECT

COOPERATION BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WORLDWIDE5-7 July 2006Lyon (France)

SESSION 7Accessibility: the social dimension of sustainable transport

TOWARDS INCLUSIVE CITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Implementation logjams and emerging approaches through cooperation

Christo VENTERAssociate Professor

christo.venter@up.ac.za

University of Pretoria

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Objectives

• Implementation logjams

• Logjam examples: Accessible transport

• Unjamming: Emerging local planning approaches

• Unjamming: Intergovernmental coordination

• Conclusions

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Problem diagnosis

Massive policy revamps - sustainability - equity, human rights

Accelerating challenges - social upliftment, poverty relief - economic competitiveness - “world stage” issues (2010 World Cup)

Institutional mismatch - preoccupation with form, structure

Implementation paralysis - policy overload - inability to find common ground among multiple stakeholders

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Example: Accessible transport

• National: non-discrimination legislation • Technical standards & guidelines e.g. “Enhancing mobility of disabled people” (ORN 21)

• Disjointed modal initiatives:– Minibus-taxis: 100% government-sponsored fleet renewal

– accessible standards or not?

Source: SA Fed Council Disability, 2001

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Example: Accessible transport

• National: non-discrimination legislation • Technical standards & guidelines e.g. “Enhancing mobility of disabled people” (ORN 21)

• Disjointed modal initiatives:– Commuter/ long distance buses: all new buses at least

“Class 1” (ambulatory) accessibility – wheelchair access optional

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Example: Accessible transport

• National: non-discrimination legislation • Technical standards & guidelines e.g. “Enhancing mobility of disabled people” (ORN 21)

• Disjointed modal initiatives:– Commuter rail: Ad hoc station improvements

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Example: Accessible transport

• National: non-discrimination legislation • Technical standards & guidelines e.g. “Enhancing mobility of disabled people” (ORN 21)

• Disjointed modal initiatives:– Dial-a-Ride: City of Cape Town funding 17-vehicle

operation

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Emerging local planning approach

• Identification of high priority, strategic public transport networks

- Road/rail based, high traffic volumes- All-day, “backbone” service- Partial or complete priority for PT- Supported by feeder networks

• Incremental implementation- Route by route- Includes pedestrian infrastructure, PT priority, improved vehicle standards, security, enforcement- Creates focus for accessibility improvements -- full access to support entire trip chain

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Emerging local planning approach• Example: Cape Town

Key corridors identified in “Mobility Strategy”

First corridor for BRT implementation

New buses on primary corridors to be low-floor or low-entry articulated

Implementation delays due to political problems & lack of coordination

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Emerging local planning approach

• Example: Johannesburg Strategic Public Transport Network

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Emerging local planning approach

InternationalSports Complexfor the Disabled

Dube Station

Phefeni Station

Phumla Spec School

Walter Sisulu Child & Youth Centre

New Canada Station

Highgate Mall

Soweto Workshopfor the Blind

CoronationvilleHospital

CoronationvilleSpecial TrainingCentre

Helen JosephHospital

Natl. Council for PersonsWith Physical Disabilities SA

DEAFSA

RAUWITS

Park Station

Ghandi SquareBus terminal

CBD

Soweto

M1

N1

Soweto HighwayRoode-

poort R

d

Accessible NodesMajor Transport InterchangesProvincial HospitalsPriority Origins and Destinations

• Example: Johannesburg

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Emerging model for intergovernmental coordination

• Development & adoption of Gauteng Intergovernmental Transport Charter – high-level agreement of objectives, functions, responsibilities among government entities

• Key insights: - Success is only achievable through high levels of joint planning & coordination - First need clear identification of functions & responsibilities of various government entities- Then sort out institutional arrangements later (“Form follows function”)- Implementation should be local, unless economies of scale or geographic nature dictates otherwise- Pay attention to political champions

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Conclusions

• Mismatch of institutions with functional requirements of delivery is a key constraint to transport improvement

• Some success achieved in first sorting out function, and then designing form to follow function

• Incremental planning and deployment of public transport corridors, taking account of

– Infrastructure (especially priority for PT)– Operations, regulation & enforcement– Accessible trip chains from origin to destination– Need for officials/implementers to learn as they do

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Acknowledgments

City of Johannesburg, Bob Stanway, Johannesburg News Agency

Gauteng Department of Public transport, Roads & Works, Lisa Seftel & Mar Somaru

City of Cape Town, Jim Stanbury

CSIR