Investigation Of The Influence Of Information And Communication Technologies On Sustainable Road Transportation In Bloemfontein City, South Africa

Abstract

The concept of sustainable road transportation as an important measure of sustainable development has been adopted globally, by different countries and cities after the Brundtland report, along with other environmental initiatives that have aimed to sustain and make the planet liveable for future generation. African cities have also taken the initiative to move towards sustainability of transportation in their cities. Different scholars have identified various sustainable road transportation indicators as a guide to what governments and policy makers need to focus on to solve different challenges the cities are facing. Although different policies have been effective in some cities, there are other challenges that have not been alleviated, such as congestion, traffic delays, carbon emissions, and the dominant use of private vehicles. The incorporation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in sustainable road transportation is argued to be one of the ways to make road transportation efficient and effective. This could alleviate challenges such as congestion, carbon emissions, and the use of public transportation, and help make road transportation and cities sustainable. However, literature is scarce on how integration of ICT will influence sustainability of road transportation, in particular in cities of South Africa. Therefore, using the study context of Bloemfontein city of South Africa, this study examined the current scenario of the road transportation system in city and explored how sustainable road transportation in the city can be achieved by use of relevant innovative systems like Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the daily personal and professional activities of people and their travel needs in and around the city. The study followed a quantitative research method. Data was collected by the use of survey method and was followed by statistical analyses and empirical modelling. The findings indicate that the integration of ICT into road transportation reduces the need for travel and consequently reduces the levels of congestion on the road, which will lead to reduced CO₂ emissions. Through the results, it can be recommended that for Bloemfontein to be a sustainable city, the integration of ICT into road transportation should be a priority, which can assist to alleviate the existing transportation challenges and provide transportation that is sustainable, reliable, safe, efficient and cost effective.