The Car Guards of Cape Town: A Public Good Analysis

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dc.contributor.author McEwen, Hayley en_US
dc.contributor.author Leiman, Anthony en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2012-12-03T12:05:22Z
dc.date.available 2012-12-03T12:05:22Z
dc.date.issued 2008-10 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/11090/30
dc.description.abstract Car guards have become a part of everyday life for drivers in Cape Town and other metropolitan centres around South Africa. This paper analyses the development and economic functioning of the industry with the understanding that the market exhibits quasipublic good characteristics. Some unusual phenomena are explored. Firstly free riding does not lead to under-provision in the market due to the survivalist nature of the supply, the noncontractual nature of the demand and varied public perceptions. Secondly private firms enter the market as a signalling device for the heterogeneous quality of car guards. Lastly drivers continue to pay car guards in the face of free riding due to varied preference curves and a degree of altruism in rational agents. Twenty detailed case studies are undertaken and the results presented and used to inform the theoretical conclusions made throughout the paper. en_US
dc.publisher Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit en_US
dc.title The Car Guards of Cape Town: A Public Good Analysis en_US


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