Possible Challenges of Integrating ICTs into the Public Transportation System in the Free State Province, South Africa

Published ArticleThere is need for ICT in the Free State public transportation system and for its implementation to be successful, information is needed on the needs of the various stakeholders and assessment of whether those needs are possible to fulfill using ICT solutions. The conventional and traditional poor quality transportation system needs to be improved. ICTs have shown to be the ultimate solution to most public transport problems. For successful ICT integration, implementation and operation of these ICT solutions to improve the public transportation system challenges may be encountered which has to be addressed. This study investigates the challenges which are likely to be faced by the different stakeholders at the different levels of the integration process

INVESTIGATING ICT SOLUTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT IN THE FREE STATE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

ThesisInefficiencies in the public transportation system in the Free State province resulting in poor quality public transportation has led to the investigation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions to improve the system, through integration, and the challenges and opportunities that may result from this integration. This research investigates ICT solutions for public transportation improvement focusing on the challenges and opportunities for all stakeholders of the public transportation system. Critical review of South African legislation and policies on public transportation and ICT was carried out. This was to review government laws and policies governing public transportation development. It also reviewed how the government planned on improving public transportation, developments so far based on those plans and future plans, and how these legislations by the government have been carried out in the Free State province. A theoretical framework was developed to lay out expectations for the integration process including the adoption of technologies and adaptations to the new integrated public transportation system based on technology acceptance and diffusion theories. Questionnaire and Interview surveys were carried out on public transportation vehicle owners, drivers, public transportation users and non-users to assess the current state of public transportation, their needs that could potentially be solved by ICT and the challenges likely to be faced. The use of questionnaires was also to assist in identifying and defining elements needed for successful integration of ICT into the system. ICT experts, transportation planners, academics, public transportation owners and users were also interviewed to gain more understanding and insight on ICT solutions, the public transportation systems, technologies for potential use in the public transportation system and challenges that may arise due to integration

POSSIBLE CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATING ICTS INTO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE FREE STATE

ArticleInformationCommunicationTechnologies(ICTs)arebecomingahugepartofthepublictransportationsystemsallovertheworld.ICTsinpublictransportation,alsoknownasIntelligentTransportationSystemsarerelativelynewinSouthAfricaandevenunheardofinsomepartsoftheFreeStateprovinceofSouthAfrica.Thesetechnologies,whichincludeelectronicfarepayments,VariableMessageSigns,AutomaticVehicleLocation,CCTVsurveillance,mobileapplicationsandtheinternetareyettobeimplementedintheFreeStateprovince.TheuptakeofICTsolutionsinpublictransportationinothercountrieswasbasedonassumptionsthatitwillimprovepublictransportationthroughthesetechnologicaldevelopments.Itwasthoughtthattechnologywillimproveservicedelivery,thereforereducingtheexistingbarrierstowardspublictransportationandresultinginthepublicbeingmorepatriotictopublictransportationsystems(NelsonandMulley,2013).ChallengesarelikelytobeencounteredwhenintegratingICTsintothepublictransportationatallstagesoftheprocess,fromplanninghowtousethesolutionstothefunctionalstageofthefullyintegratedpublictransportationsystem.Therefore,beforedeployingthesetechnologies,thesepossiblechallengesshouldbeconsidered,takingintoconsiderationthecurrentstateofpublictransportation,itsmanagement,commuters,operatorsanddrivers

Perspectives of the stakeholders of the public transportation system on ICT solutions applicability in the Free State, South Africa

Published Conference ProceedingInformation Communication Technologies have recently been adopted by transportation systems around the world to improve their services. In adopting these technologies, the stakeholders‘ involvement and perceptions regarding ICT should be considered. This paper, considering the study area, reflects on the perceptions of different stakeholders of the public transportation system towards the introduction of ICT solutions to the system. The methodology adopted was to understand the expectations of drivers, passengers and operators on integrating ICT solutions into the public transportation system, focusing on mini-bus taxis and Interstate Bus Line buses. The significant results of the study show that ICTs are anticipated and long overdue development to the system but the stakeholders have varying expectations. These results reflect on the priorities of the stakeholders, i.e., passengers yearn for improved service quality; drivers are concerned with their working conditions while the operators‘ interests are profit motivated. This paper highlights the ICT interests of passengers, drivers and operators. It compares passengers‘ needs, in terms of technologies, to improve the public transportations system against what the operators are enthusiastic to provide

Perspectives of the stakeholders of the public transportation system on ICT solutions applicability in the Free State, South Africa

Published Conference ProceedingsInformation Communication Technologies have recently been adopted by transportation systems around the world to improve their services. In adopting these technologies, the stakeholders‘ involvement and perceptions regarding ICT should be considered. This paper, considering the study area, reflects on the perceptions of different stakeholders of the public transportation system towards the introduction of ICT solutions to the system. The methodology adopted was to understand the expectations of drivers, passengers and operators on integrating ICT solutions into the public transportation system, focusing on mini-bus taxis and Interstate Bus Line buses. The significant results of the study show that ICTs are anticipated and long overdue development to the system but the stakeholders have varying expectations. These results reflect on the priorities of the stakeholders, i.e., passengers yearn for improved service quality; drivers are concerned with their working conditions while the operators‘ interests are profit motivated. This paper highlights the ICT interests of passengers, drivers and operators. It compares passengers‘ needs, in terms of technologies, to improve the public transportations system against what the operators are enthusiastic to provide

Integrating ICT into Rural South African Schools: Possible Solutions for Challenges

Published ArticleThe influence of ICT in schools cannot be overemphasized as its utility is changing the way students learn, teachers teach, and support staff work. ICT adoption in South African schools has therefore gained momentum. Whilst ICT is fully integrated into many if not all schools in urban areas in South Africa, regrettably the same cannot be said about rural schools. This has created a ‘digital divide’ between rural and urban schools. Theoretically, this paper is informed by social justice theory. Methodologically, the extant literature relied upon to make the case for ICT in South Africa’s rural schools. The same approach is used to identify key challenges militating against smooth introduction of ICT into South African schools. Thereafter, suggestions for overcoming identified challenges are provided. The aim is to help bridge the apparent digital divide between rural and urban schools in South Africa

Enabling equitable access to public transport information to enhance hybrid system use in Cape Town, South Africa

Though previously unscheduled public transport services were often seen as incompatible with equitable mobility goals, emerging cities are increasingly seeking to integrate these with new scheduled services to form hybrid public transport systems. In contrast to the abundance of services available, there is little information available to plan multimodal journeys across the hybrid system, limiting users' abilities to best use the system to meet their needs. This thesis investigated, through mixed research methods framed within Amartya Sen's capability approach, how to enable equitable access to public transport information on the hybrid system through information and communications technology. The research focussed on captive public transport users in the context of Cape Town, South Africa. Using (n=22) semi-structured interviews, candidate passenger information types for planning hybrid journeys across various scenarios were identified. A best-worst scaling study was undertaken (n=413) to gain a representative understanding of the least and most useful information types. A stated preference choice model was applied (n=501) to investigate what minimum information is required to make use of the hybrid network to access mobility opportunities in non-routine scenarios. The most useful information types were represented as different levels of certainty. These information types were: (1) frequency, (2) fare cost, (3) departure time, (4) arrival time, (5) safety walking to/from a station/stop, (6) safety onboard, and (7) safety while waiting at a stop. A further passenger survey (n=536), together with available secondary data, was analysed to gauge access to technologies and skills related to transport information use cases. This research found that none of the information types at the quality level desired is currently evenly available across the hybrid system, and no official information sources have the capacity to equitably reach captive users given current technological capabilities. The combination of gaps in information provision and adequate communication methods hinders users' informational capabilities to plan journeys that best meet their needs and preferences, and consequentially limits their access to opportunities through mobility. Strategies for understanding information needs, collecting the data necessary, and opening this data to the public through portals provide the adaptability and flexibility needed to deliver sustainable solutions

Internet of things-based framework for public transportation fleet management in the Free State

Thesis (Masters: Information Technology) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2019The poor service delivery by the Free State public transportation system inspired us to design a framework solution to improve the current system. This qualitative study focuses on improving the management of the public transportation fleet. One of the most recently developed technologies in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), namely the Internet of Things (IoT), was utilised to develop this framework. Existing problems were identified through research observations, analyses of the current system, analyses of the current problem areas, as well as participants’ questionnaire answers and recommendations, the participants being the passengers, drivers and vehicle owners. The framework was developed in two phases, namely a hardware phase that makes use of ICT sensors (e.g. RFID, GPS, GPRS, IR, Zigbee, WiFi), and a software phase that uses an internet connection to communicate with the different ICT devices. The software utilised a Graphic User Interface (GUI) to ensure that the software is user-friendly and addresses possible problems and barriers such as multiple language interfaces and different ICT skills levels. The newly designed framework offers different services and solutions to meet the participants’ needs, such as real-time tracking for public transport vehicles to help passengers manage their departure and arrival times, as well as for vehicle owners to monitor their own vehicles. In turn, vehicle arrival notifications will encourage passengers to be on time so that vehicles will not be delayed unnecessarily. Another feature is counting devices that can be installed inside the vehicles, which will inform vehicle owners how many passengers are being transported by a vehicle. The passenger pre-booking system will support the drivers when planning their trips/routes. Finally, the framework was designed to fulfil all the participants’ needs that were indicated in the questionnaires in order to achieve the goal of the research study

The role of ICT to promote smart governance in local governments

Abstract : This study aims to provide a conceptual framework to explain the issues, concerns, challenges and solutions on introducing information and communication technology initiatives to create smart governance. The study contextualises the use of ICTs in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, thereby aiming to make this key South African metropolitan municipality a ‘smart city’, with smart governance, by offering smart services to community members. The research takes a qualitative research approach, which is exploratory, and a quantitative research approach, which is descriptive, to realise the outcomes of the research questions formulated. This mixed-methods approach was deemed most suitable. The findings explore that while various challenges remain, it is the willingness of leadership and the relative importance that those holding the levers of power in the CoE attach to ICTs that determine how deep and far they will drive the municipality towards this goal. Ultimately, there is a need for modern-day municipalities to adopt 21st-century, compliant, smart solutions that not only improve the effectiveness of public service delivery, but also transform the economic and efficient aspects of the delivery of services to citizens. The study recommends that there is a need to balance policy prescripts and implementation or practice; to prioritise ICT in planning and budgeting; to improve community involvement and engagement; to establish ethical and professional leadership practices; to consider meritorious and competency-based appointments; to intensify investment in ICT infrastructure, and to mould municipal service delivery on smart governance.M.A. (Public Management and Governance