Open AccessAssessing the Role of Planning and Considerations in the Sustainability of BRT-PPP Projects: A South African Case
Author(s) -
Chioma Okoro,
Franco Muleya,
Innocent Musonda
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of construction in developing countries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.26
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1823-6499
pISSN - 2180-4222
DOI - 10.21315/jcdc-04-21-0064
Subject(s) - bus rapid transit , vitality , sustainability , business , software deployment , environmental planning , environmental economics , process management , environmental resource management , transport engineering , computer science , economics , geography , engineering , public transport , ecology , philosophy , theology , biology , operating system
The development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems is essential to African cities' economic vitality through accessibility and expansion of urban mobility. Several studies have investigated the deployment of such transportation systems. However, the role of a delineated planning stage of BRTs has been given limited attention. This study examined the role of planning in ensuring the sustainable performance of BRT systems. A qualitative approach using interviews from experts and BRT users in the Gauteng Province of South Africa was adopted. Findings indicated that planning should extensively encompass projections of the intended or future performance outcomes. These include institutional arrangements, existing characteristics and impact, service reliability and quality, technical analysis of infrastructural integration, demand, environmental performance metrics, and life cycle costs. This inductive research advances theory on critical factors that could potentially hinder the delivery of PPP-based BRT projects. The findings are envisaged to be beneficial to transport policymakers and stakeholders in the assessment of BRT systems. Failures surrounding the BRT in Gauteng result from an omission of critical factors at the planning stage. This presents a critical lesson for future BRT projects in South Africa and other developing countries, to be meticulous and consider critical factors at the planning stage.