Public-private Partnerships in the Implementation of the Integrated Rapid Public Transport System in South Africa

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23497757

Rosinah Modikoa Pillay, Khensani Richard Chauke, and Xolani Thusi (Department of Public Administration, University of Limpopo, South Africa)

This study addresses Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the implementation of the Integrated Rapid Public Transport System (IRPTS) in South Africa, assessing the interplay among infrastructure investments, BRT, IRPTS changes, and stakeholder engagement with transport governance through PPP provisions, with respect to performance, equity, and institutional coordination in the system. While much of the transport infrastructure provided by PPPs is funded and delivered, it often entails ongoing tensions between financial viability and social equity objectives. The study adopts a qualitative research approach to review secondary data from various sources, including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and government and policy documents. PPP’s modes of transport can enhance the delivery of infrastructure and operations in a cost-effective and efficient manner. However, they also risk exacerbating inequality, as the pursuit of profit can overshadow concerns for affordability and equitable access, deepening socioeconomic disparities. The study utilised thematic analysis to extract, screen, and analyse data using Covidence software, indicating that even with low stakeholder participation, fragmented transport systems, and limited convergence with informal transport operators such as minibus taxi companies, the low efficiency of IRPTS implementation remains unaddressed. In contrast, the literature has consistently indicated that inclusive governance options, negotiated contracts, and hybrid institutional forms are sufficient to enable greater stakeholder integration, conflict mediation, and practice-based connection in transport integration. The paper demonstrates that PPPs should be embedded in rigorous, equitable, and institutional governance structures that capture the comprehensive contributions of both formal and informal transport users.