Re-evaluating roles and relationships between city authorities and informal public transport operators in Sub-Saharan Africa

A comparative analysis of 5 cities.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 5 September 2023

• Country: Ghana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and South Africa
• Document Type: Research Paper
• Theme: Infrastructure
• Authors: Durant, T and Mooney, M.G.

Abstract

This paper analyses how informal public transport (IPT) can be supported to deliver improved service quality and the relationship between public authorities and IPT operators in the five cities of Accra, Kumasi, Freetown, Cape Town and Maputo. It compares the regulatory frameworks of the cities and their evolution. It finds that Cape Town has been an ‘early mover’ in terms of its attempts to professionalise and support the sector, but that self-regulation continues to play a significant role. Accra, Kumasi and Maputo have the main IPT licensing frameworks in place, but limited enforcement capacity and elements of corruption undermine this. Freetown is currently developing a regulatory structure for IPT, which is likely to be informed by major public transport schemes that are frequently seen as the catalyst for IPT professionalisation initiatives.

This paper is part of the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme

Citation

Timothy Durant, Mamaa Grant Monney, Michael Etonam Johnson, Kwame Kwakwa Osei, Joaquín Romero de Tejada, Herrie Schalekamp, Ansumana Tarawally. ‘Re-evaluating roles and relationships between city authorities and informal public transport operators in Sub-Saharan Africa: a comparative analysis of five cities’. Research in Transportation Economics 2023: volume 101

Links

Re-evaluating roles and relationships between city authorities and informal public transport operators in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Published 5 September 2023