Public Transport Status Quo

Local public transport services allow people to access destinations in their local areas to which they need to travel regularly but which are too remote for pedestrians and other non-motorised means. These destinations include essential services or activities accessed on a frequent basis, such as places of employment, shops, government services and schools.

Transport and specifically the public transport system in KwaDukuza are an integral part of daily life, shaping KwaDukuza and connecting people with jobs, education, services, shopping, medical and recreation opportunities. Transport also underpins the economy, linking businesses with workers, customers and clients and transporting goods.

This section of the report addresses the status quo of the public transport system focusing on the road based public transport services.

Bus Transport

Information on the current bus services in KwaDukuza was sourced from Transport Economic Support Services (TESS) who manages the subsidised bus contracts for KZN DoT. There are two bus operators in KwaDukuza operating under two tendered bus contracts. The following provides an overview of the two contracts with regard to passenger numbers, fleet size and other relevant bus information.

Darnall Motor Transport operates contract ZNT1169 using a subsidised fleet of 13 buses and 9 buses which are not subsidised. The second operator, Maphumulo Mail Transport, uses 14 subsidised buses and 20 unsubsidised buses. The current bus routes operated on is shown in the below Figure.

There are three unsubsidized bus operators in the area of study namely Vinolans, Gasela and Zulu Kayalami.

Current Bus Routes

Darnall Motor Transport provides a bus services between the following main areas within KwaDukuza but also across the municipal boundary to other local municipalities and districts:

Table 4: Contracted Bus Operators & monthly trips from KwaDukuza – Darnall Motor Transport Subsidised buses (TESS Subsidy info 2018)

Table 5: Contracted Bus Operators & monthly trips from KwaDukuza – Maphumulo Mail Transport: Subsidised buses (TESS Subsidy info 2018)

There are however also unsubsidised bus services within the KwaDukuza also operated by Darnall Motor Transport and Maphumulo Mail Transport services. These services also form a substantial part of the bus service throughout the area.

The following tables provide the number of trips per route on a monthly basis for unsubsidised services.

Table 6: Contracted Bus Operators & monthly trips from KwaDukuza – Darnall Motor Transport Unsubsidised buses (TESS Subsidy info 2018)

Table 7: Contracted Bus Operators & monthly trips from KwaDukuza – Maphumulo Mail Transport: Unsubsidised buses (TESS Subsidy info 2018)

Passengers transported on a monthly basis is summarised in Table 8 for both subsidised and unsubsidised services for the two bus operators.

Table 8: Monthly Bus passengers for subsidised & unsubsidised services (TESS Subsidy info 2018)

From the table above it is clear that in general the subsidised bus services in KwaDukuza operate at high utilisation levels with an average of more than 55 passenger per bus trip. Assuming the use of a normal 65-seater bus the average utilisation is more than 84% per trip.

Minibus-taxi Transport

The socio-economic factors in the KwaDukuza area as well as within the iLembe DM restrict movement of passengers and also affect minibus-taxi operations. The minibus-taxi is the dominant mode of public transport in the municipality. There are currently two main minibus-taxi associations within KwaDukuza. Dolphin Coast taxi association operating from Ballito with 87 vehicles and Stanger Taxi Association with 219 vehicles operating in the area. According to the iLembe IPTN study which contains the most use full information on minibus-taxi operations it was estimated that in 2011, 13840 passengers are transported in the morning and afternoon peak periods. Figure below shows the current Minibus-taxi routes in KwaDukuza.

Current Minibus-taxi Routes

According to the 2012 IPTN study minibus-taxis provide a service on 60 routes and 1125 trips, during the AM peak period, at an average occupancy of 12 passengers per trip which equates to a utilisation figure of more than 82%. The study however did indicate that some routes during the peak hour period operate at much higher utilisation rate (>130%) while some routes are under-utilised (<50%). Table 9 shows the minibus-taxi passenger volumes, trips per routes and utilisation rates for 2011.

Table 9: AM Peak period Minibus-taxi passengers, trips, and utilisation rates (iLembe IPTN, 2012)

Bakkie Transport

Bakkie Transport is prohibited by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (KZNDoT) however this mode of transport still operates informally in the area. The KZN DoT has issued a directive that Bakkie Transport operators must replace their bakkies with 16 seater minibus-taxis, Toyota Venture/Toyota Avanza or similar type vehicles and must affiliate with the taxi associations in their area of operation. Bakkie Transport are informally transporting scholars from home to school and vice versa. They also transport people from their houses to the wholesalers and hardware shops to buy their groceries and supplies and back home.

E-Hailing Services

E-hailing services are very popular amongst tourists as they provide transport on demand and from door-to-door, although more expensive than scheduled public transport. E-hailing services however is not seen as a commuter service and does not compete with normal commuter services such as minibus taxi or bus services. Because of the customised nature of these services, it is extremely unlikely that this mode will ever compete in the same market as daily commuters, or even compete for passengers who would be likely to use an effective public transport system.

It is however crucial for the e-hailing industry, their users, and especially tourists that KDM develop and then enforce regulations equally on all e-hailing services, and that potential conflicts are quickly identified and resolved.

As it stands, presently e-hailing services, unlike metered taxi services, are not defined in the National Land Transport Act No 5 of 2009. Metered taxis are defined as follows:

• "metered taxi service" means a public transport service operated by means of a motor vehicle contemplated in section 66 which:

is available for hire by hailing while roaming, by telephone or otherwise;

may stand for hire at a rank; and

is equipped with a sealed meter, in good working order, for determining the fare payable, that is calibrated for such fare or complies with any other requirements applicable to such meters.

The National DoT is currently reviewing its legislation. The proposed amendments are at Bill stage and still must be tabled for discussion in the Council of Provinces and undergo a consultative process with key stakeholders. Amongst the amendments sought is one which aims to amend the definition of a metered taxi for it to include e-hailing services.

Because legislation in South Africa requires public transport for reward to be regulated by means of operating licences, it is proposed that an approach be adopted whereby e-hailing service operators still be required to possess an operating licence, but that a high threshold on the number of licences granted be set, thus largely allowing market forces to determine the levels of service. The retention of a threshold, albeit a high one, allows the KDM to retain ultimate control of the industry should it be necessary, at some point in the future, to regulate market entry more closely.

It should be noted at this point that the municipality’s stance towards the e-hailing industry over the few years has, in essence, already brought about a situation whereby the market is controlling the number of operators.