Travel time reliability assessment of public transport : a case study of the Johannesburg bus rapid transit (brt) corridors

Papers presented virtually at the 41st International Southern African Transport Conference on 10-13 July 2043Travel time reliability is one of the key measures of transport network performance. It also provides an indication of the level of predictability of travel time from origin to destination for any mode of transport. This paper presents an investigation of the travel time reliability of the Bus Rapid Transit system in Johannesburg - the Rea Vaya Bus service. The study method involves field collection of travel time information through onboard surveys along the BRT corridors. Travel time reliability is measured using a set of indicators proposed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the US Department of Transportation. Among the objectives of the study is to gain some insight into the critical operational and road network factors that impact travel time for both peak and off-peak periods. Some of the factors considered include commuter boarding and alighting delays, stop frequency and delays at intersections. From the study, one of the notable factors found to currently affect travel time reliability for the BRT system was additional delays from traffic signal disruption due to the ongoing load-shedding scheme implemented by the national power agency, ESKOM

Technology and implementation science to forge the future of evidence-based psychotherapies: the PRIDE scale-up study

Objective: To report the interim results from the training of providers in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) and use of mobile applications. Design and setting: The Partnerships in Research to Implement and Disseminate Sustainable and Scalable Evidence (PRIDE) study is a cluster-randomised hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial comparing three delivery pathways for integrating comprehensive mental healthcare into primary care in Mozambique. Innovations include the use of EBPs and scaling-up of task-shifted mental health services using mobile applications. Main outcome measures: We examined EBP training attendance, certification, knowledge and intentions to deliver each component. We collected qualitative data through rapid ethnography and focus groups. We tracked the use of the mobile applications to investigate early reach of a valid screening tool (Electronic Mental Wellness Tool) and the roll out of the EBPs PARTICIPANTS: Psychiatric technicians and primary care providers trained in the EBPs. Results: PRIDE has trained 110 EBP providers, supervisors and trainers and will train 279 community health workers in upcoming months. The trainings improved knowledge about the EBPs and trainees indicated strong intentions to deliver the EBP core components. Trained providers began using the mobile applications and appear to identify cases and provide appropriate treatment. Conclusions: The future of EBPs requires implementation within existing systems of care with fidelity to their core evidence-based components. To sustainably address the vast mental health treatment gap globally, EBP implementation demands: expanding the mental health workforce by training existing human resources; sequential use of EBPs to comprehensively treat mental disorders and their comorbid presentations and leveraging digital screening and treatment applications. Keywords: adult psychiatry; anxiety disorders; depression & mood disorders; schizophrenia & psychotic disorders; substance misuse. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ