Journal of Transport and Land Use

Toward spatial justice: The spatial equity effects of a toll road in Cape Town, South Africa

Justin Tycho van Dijk

Stellenbosch University

Stephan Krygsman

Stellenbosch University

Tom de Jong

Utrecht University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2015.555

Keywords: accessibility, toll road, spatial equity, GIS, South Africa

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Abstract

The present study sets out to provide an ex ante insight into the equity effects of a toll charge on the traffic diversions and geographical accessibility of work locations in the Cape Town metropolitan region, South Africa. Based on a static traffic assignment model and aggregate accessibility measures, computed in a GIS environment, the effects of a toll were estimated for different income categories for both a reference scenario and two toll scenarios. The findings indicate that particularly low-income commuters will divert to alternative routes. However, the results also indicate that the introduction of a toll will only have a limited impact on geographical accessibility. Nevertheless, because particularly low-income commuters are likely to divert to alternative routes, a toll should maybe not be levied on the road toward spatial justice without revenue redistribution or additional investment in the public transport system.

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Author Biographies

Justin Tycho van Dijk, Stellenbosch University

Department of Logistics

Stephan Krygsman, Stellenbosch University

Department of Logistics

Tom de Jong, Utrecht University

Faculty of Geosciences

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