INCREASING PUBLIC TRANSPORT MARKET （增加公共交通市场）.pdfVIP

INCREASING PUBLIC TRANSPORT MARKET SHARE IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE OPTIONS Authors: Mr MAM Mashiri, Ms PN Moeketsi, and *Mr V Baloyi Transportek, CSIR PO Box 395 Pretoria, 000 1 and *Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council, Public Passenger Transport Division, PO Box 6338, Pretoria, 000 1. South Africa. Abstract Public transport in South Africa is facing increasing pressures as the need to do more with less increases. It must continue to attract new riders and retain existing ones as well as ensure support from the community at large. Marketing plays a critical role not only in assisting it to meet its obj ectives, but also to ensure its continued viability. To maximize its effectiveness, marketing must be viewed as a comprehensive process through which transit agencies develop and provide transit services and communicate its benefits to their employees, patrons, and the general public. While marketing strategies go a long way in building transit ridership, combining them with information and communication technologies is much more likely to engender long-term sustainability. However, this requires the forging of partnerships between transport authorities and operators in consultation with their customers. This paper highlights some of these issues. INTRODUCTION Public transport crisis The crisis facing public transportation in South Africa is well-known and well documented. For purposes of this paper, however, it has been deemed important to revisit some of the issues. Access to public transport is reduced by long walking distances and long waiting times largely due to inadequate service and route coverage, as well as poorly arranged schedules. Convenience is thus severely compromised. Transit conditions lack comfort mainly because loading conditions often hinder