Job-Employed Resident Imbalance and Travel Time in Gauteng: Exploring the Determinants of Longer Travel Time

Abstract

In the Gauteng City Region, a substantial number of workers reside far from their place of work, translating into long travel distances and high travel costs and time costs. This study examines the relationship between job-employed ratio, i.e. the percentage of residents that work in the same location in which they live, and average travel times. It also compares the average travel time between internal capture workers, who work and reside in the same area, with employment leakage workers, who work in areas other than those they reside in, and analyses other factors that influence average travel times. The ANOVA results reveal that job-rich and balanced areas are associated with higher average travel times for workers in housing-rich areas. Internal capture workers had the lower average travel time compared employment leakage workers. The regression results indicate that male gender, age and Black African ethnicity are positively associated with higher mean average travel time. Income, education level, informality and private transportation modes are negatively correlated with mean average travel time. This finding implies that land-use planning and public transport policies should be integrated to reduce travel time to work in the Gauteng City Region.