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Public transport systems in contemporary Sub-Saharan African cities
are heavily reliant upon paratransit services. These services are
defined as informal transportation which operates between the
public and individual private spheres. In Africa paratransit is
characterized by low quality of vehicles and chaotic management but
it also provides cheap, accessible and flexible transport solutions
for the urban poor. It is typically poorly regulated and operates
as a set of informal businesses. A common result of weak public
sector regulation and a fare strategy in which owners claim a fixed
daily revenue target and drivers who keep the variable balance as
income, is destructive competition and poor quality of service.
There is an incontrovertible case for improving the quality,
reliability and coverage of public transport systems, and some city
governments have attempted to do so by initiating reform projects
that envisage the phased replacement of paratransit operations with
formalised bus rapid transit systems. In this book the authors
argue that there are, however, path dependencies and constraints
that limit the possible extent of public transport system reform.
Paratransit operations also have some inherent advantages with
respect to demand responsiveness and service innovation. Attempts
to eradicate paratransit may be neither pragmatic nor strategic.
Two future scenarios are likely: hybrid systems comprised of both
paratransit and formally planned modes; and systems improved by
upgrades and strengthened regulation of existing paratransit
services. The business strategies and aspirations of incumbent
paratransit operators in three case cities - Cape Town, Dar es
Salaam and Nairobi - are discussed, as well as their attitudes
towards emerging public transport reform projects. International
experiences of hybrid system regulation and paratransit business
development are reviewed in order to explore policy options. The
authors contend that policies recognising paratransit operators,
and seeking contextually appropriate complementarity with
formalised planned services, will produce greater benefits than
policies ignoring their continued existence.
Public transport systems in contemporary Sub-Saharan African cities
are heavily reliant upon paratransit services. These services are
defined as informal transportation which operates between the
public and individual private spheres. In Africa paratransit is
characterized by low quality of vehicles and chaotic management but
it also provides cheap, accessible and flexible transport solutions
for the urban poor. It is typically poorly regulated and operates
as a set of informal businesses. A common result of weak public
sector regulation and a fare strategy in which owners claim a fixed
daily revenue target and drivers who keep the variable balance as
income, is destructive competition and poor quality of service.
There is an incontrovertible case for improving the quality,
reliability and coverage of public transport systems, and some city
governments have attempted to do so by initiating reform projects
that envisage the phased replacement of paratransit operations with
formalised bus rapid transit systems. In this book the authors
argue that there are, however, path dependencies and constraints
that limit the possible extent of public transport system reform.
Paratransit operations also have some inherent advantages with
respect to demand responsiveness and service innovation. Attempts
to eradicate paratransit may be neither pragmatic nor strategic.
Two future scenarios are likely: hybrid systems comprised of both
paratransit and formally planned modes; and systems improved by
upgrades and strengthened regulation of existing paratransit
services. The business strategies and aspirations of incumbent
paratransit operators in three case cities - Cape Town, Dar es
Salaam and Nairobi - are discussed, as well as their attitudes
towards emerging public transport reform projects. International
experiences of hybrid system regulation and paratransit business
development are reviewed in order to explore policy options. The
authors contend that policies recognising paratransit operators,
and seeking contextually appropriate complementarity with
formalised planned services, will produce greater benefits than
policies ignoring their continued existence.
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