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