Feasibility assessment of a bus rapid transit system on sir Apollo Kaggwa road.

Abstract

The need for mass transit systems in Urban Centers throughout Europe and the world over as a result of increased passenger volumes and traffic congestion has led to the development of Bus Rapid Transit Systems. Mass transit transport systems encourage a shift from individual vehicle transportation to the use of mass transit systems due to their characteristics such as reduced travel time & increased passenger comfort. Bus Rapid transit systems are a cheaper alternative compared to metro railway transit systems making them a more viable option for implementation in developing countries. There is a high volume of passengers in the Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road corridor during the peak hours. The available public service vehicles cannot cater for passenger volumes during peak hours due to their low capacities, hence the need for a high capacity passenger service system such as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). This project involved an in-depth study of the existing travel time conditions and the expected change after implementation. Minibuses (taxis) were used as a case study for existing travel time conditions. Using O-D matrices, the traffic movements were simulated and the simulation showed a 63% improvement in travel time. The cost of implementing and maintaining the project was estimated and then compared with the monetary value of benefits to be gained. Results from the findings indicate a cost-benefit ratio of 0.1. Findings from the O-D survey indicate that several vehicles (mostly bodabodas) travel from Bwaise Roundabout to the city centre via Makerere Hill Road (Wandegeya side) in the morning peak period. During the evening peak period, there is a high volume of passengers that travel from Nsalo Road Junction to Bwaise via public means (mostly bodabodas). The patterns observed show that introducing the BRT link along this route will solve the existing congestion problem if people switch from their usual means to the BRT. Generally, the project is not feasible, as the cost-benefit analysis is the biggest determiner of feasibility (Roseke, 2019).