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Comparisons of urban transport sustainability: Lessons from West and North Africa

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  • Godard, Xavier

Abstract

The diagnosis for urban transport sustainability depends on the context of different regions worldwide. We focus in this paper on West and North Africa which reveal similarities but also structural differences which are explored further. The importance of paratransit in its various forms is strongly observed in sub-Saharan Africa and to a lesser extent in North Africa. The attempts to regulate and organise this sector have been difficult; one interesting experience in Dakar occurred during a programme of fleet renewal. In parallel it is observed that there are positive but insufficient experiences of public transport authorities in some cities (Dakar, Abidjan) and similar projects postponed in other cities because of the institutional problems. One also observes the constant difficulties of designing sustainable schemes for bus companies. An answer to this crisis has been found in North Africa, through investment in new mass transport systems. However, mass transport projects in West Africa are very weak in comparison. The gap between public transport costs and income levels there remains a major obstacle to sustainable mobility exacerbated by the poverty of a significant part of the urban population in West Africa. Two other critical factors are also identified affecting sustainable mobility requirements, namely, the urban sprawl and increasing energy costs. Finally the conclusion recommends the use of research and expertise networks in order to help the design and the implementation of suited solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Godard, Xavier, 2013. "Comparisons of urban transport sustainability: Lessons from West and North Africa," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 96-103.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:retrec:v:40:y:2013:i:1:p:96-103
    DOI: 10.1016/j.retrec.2012.06.033
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Godard, Xavier, 2007. "Some lessons from the LRT in Tunis and the transferability of experience," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 891-898, December.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Roca, Santiago & Simabuko, Luis, 2020. "Understanding informality in the intercity passenger ground transport market: A stylized model and policy implications," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 375-384.
    3. Sobhani, Md. Golam & Imtiyaz, Md. Nafis & Azam, Md. Shafiul & Hossain, Moinul, 2020. "A framework for analyzing the competitiveness of unconventional modes of transportation in developing cities," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 504-518.
    4. Louis G. Alcorn & Alex Karner, 2021. "Integrating formal and informal transit into one hybrid passenger transport system in Lagos, Nigeria," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 1361-1377, June.
    5. Raffael Beier, 2020. "The world-class city comes by tramway: Reframing Casablanca’s urban peripheries through public transport," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(9), pages 1827-1844, July.

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