Browsing by Author "Behrens, Roger"
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Item An evaluation of policy approaches to upgrading and integrating paratransit in African urban public transport systems: results of the first round of a Delphi survey(CODATU XV: The Role of Urban Mobility in (re) shaping Cities, 2012) Behrens, Roger; McCormick, D.; Mfinanga, David A.Most African urban public transport systems are heavily reliant upon minibus paratransit. Under the influence of international development agencies, over the past decade, a number of Sub-Saharan African city governments have embarked upon the initial phases, or at least proposed the installation, of high quality and technology bus rapid transit as a means of reforming public transport systems and replacing paratransit services. The aim of the study presented in this paper is to test a series propositions regarding the likely outcome of contemporary public transport reform strategies, and to explore which approaches to upgrading and integrating paratransit services hold greatest promise. The means of pursuing this objective is through the administration of a two-wave Delphi expert panel survey. The paper reports upon the results of the first round of the (n=17) Delphi survey. The panel of experts was selected on the basis of their experience in designing and preparing paratransit upgrade and integration projects in Sub-Saharan African cities. The panel identified quality regulation, road space prioritisation and operator business training as particularly important in strategies to upgrade existing services, and identified connecting corridors, feeder area licensing and reward schemes as particularly promising for strategies to integrate paratransit with formal scheduled services. While contested, the majority view of the panel was that the prospect of comprehensive paratransit replacement in Sub-Saharan African cities in the short- to medium-term seems remote. It was forecast that cities able to install formal scheduled services will depend, for decades, on hybrid systems that combine both scheduled and paratransit operators. Sub-Saharan African city government formulating much-needed strategies to reform their public transport systems should recognise the enduring presence of paratransit services, not ignore them.Item An international review of paratransit regulation and integration experiences: Lessons for public transport system rationalisation and improvement in African cities(4th international conference on future urban transport: access and mobility for the cities of tomorrow, Göteborg, April, 2009-04-19) Schalekamp, Herrie; Mfinanga, David A.; Wilkinson, Peter; Behrens, RogerItem An Introduction to Paratransit in Sub-Saharan African Cities(Routledge, 2015-09-07) Behrens, Roger; McCormick, Dorothy; Mfinanga, David A.1 Background This book deals with the regulation and reform of public transport services provided by small operators in Sub-Saharan African cities. How these services are operated, and the role they play in broader passenger transport systems, are not well understood. Indeed, the terminology used to describe the services themselves is inconsistent. In this book the term 'paratransit'is used (see Box 1.1).Item Paratransit in African Cities: Operations, Regulation and Reform(Routledge, 2015) Behrens, Roger; McCormick, Dorothy; Mfinanga, David A.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.Item Paratransit in African Cities: Operations, Regulation and Transformation.(Earthscan, 2015) Behrens, Roger; McCormick, Dorothy; Mfinanga, David A.