Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works
The Pitch
Facing a public transportation crisis, the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works improved their minibus-taxi system to be safer and more reliable—enhancing passenger experience—and more lucrative for drivers.
The Problem
Minibus-taxis are highly relied upon for transportation in the Western Cape province, but they became associated with reckless driving and violent conflicts between drivers over lucrative routes. Passengers no longer felt safe, and drivers did not receive adequate incomes.
The Process
- Rolled out a pilot program using minibus-taxis (MBTs), designating a small number of vehicles in all regions of Cape Town and two regions outside the city, to initialize the necessary structures and systems for the program
- Established Operation Centers for each regional company to manage fleets
- Introduced an Intelligent Transport System that provides performance data to the regional companies
- Fitted over 800 vehicles with tracking devices that monitor driving patterns
- Created an app that allows drivers to receive feedback
- Clearly branded the fleet so passengers can easily identify them as safe vehicles, and observers can provide feedback based on their perception of the service
- Created an incentive system that pays operators and drivers for following safe driving protocols
The Impact
- Improved driver behavior via implementation of safe driving protocols and driver tracking, which subsequently reduced heavy impacts on the fleet
- Reduced MBTs’ fuel consumption and emissions while increasing their lifespan
- Increased reliability and consistency of services for passengers and incomes for drivers
- Improved insight into user experiences and enabled the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works to investigate any reported incidents of assault via the feedback system
- Reduced reckless driving incidents and supplied essential additional income to MBT drivers via incentives that reward safe driving
- Decreased traffic crashes caused by unsafe driving by 30% over the initial course of the pilot
- Improved the livelihoods of MBT drivers
- Increased overall road safety
