SSA Transport Policy Program Papers

41 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16282

The SSATP is an international partnership to facilitate policy development and related\r + capacity building in the transport sector in Africa. Sound policies lead to safe, reliable, and cost-effective transport, freeing people to lift themselves\r + out of poverty and helping countries to compete internationally. The SSATP is a partnership of: 38 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, 8 Regional Economic Communities, 2 African institutions (UNECA, AU/NEPAD), Financing partners for the Second Development Plan (European Commission, Austria, France, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Islamic Development Bank, African Development Bank, and World Bank), and many public and private national and regional organizations.

Items in this collection

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Market Analysis on Financial Sustainability and Commercial Viability of BRTs in Sub-Saharan Africa
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-07-08) Fan, Hongye; Beukes, Edward Andrew; Neves, Philippe
Over the past decade, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been seen to offer an effective solution to the transport challenges faced in many cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), as a mass transit system which can deliver capacity matching that of urban rail systems, with the potential to be delivered more rapidly and at relatively lower cost. While urban transport infrastructure has traditionally been financed by the public sector, there is increasing interest from SSA governments in engaging the private sector to support the delivery of BRT schemes. However, despite the private sector has expressed interest for investment, the mobilization of private sector capital has been slow and difficult. The objective of this study is to undertake a systematic sector market analysis of BRT schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa from the perspective of the private sector, to understand the thinking and experience of private sector stakeholders participating in BRT schemes. The study also explores the reasons behind the hesitancy shown in this context by private investors. This report of the study comprises two main parts: (1) a desktop overview of the current commercial and financial landscape of BRT and urban transport financing in SSA, identifying current financing schemes and investors at presence or with interest; and (2) a market assessment of investors’ appetite for BRTs, and their risk analysis, based on responses to a survey questionnaire and interviews.
Enhancing Financial Sustainability and Commercial Viability of Bus Rapid Transits in Sub Saharan Africa: The Factor Analysis Report
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-16) Fan, Hongye; Beukes, Edward Andrew
Rapid urbanization and urban population growth are placing increasing pressure on the transport systems of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) cities. In response, major cities in the region have implemented or are in the process of implementing bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, which is seen as an affordable way to address the mobility challenges. To enable a financially sustainable BRT system and mobilize private capital more efficiently, it is critical for SSA governments to have an in-depth understanding and comprehensive assessment of these factors to develop contextually appropriate, effective solutions. This study aims to assist both public and private sector stakeholders to enhance the financial sustainability and commercial viability of BRT systems in SSA by: (i) identifying, framing, and analyzing the key factors influencing the financial sustainability and commercial viability of SSA BRTs; and (ii) developing a robust analytical tool to guide a high-level assessment of the factors influencing the financial sustainability and commercial viability of SSA BRT systems. The study was conducted in five stages: (1) project inception, (2) desktop review, (3) stakeholder engagement, (4) factor identification and analysis, and (5) assessment tool development. Chapter one introduces the objectives and context of the project. Chapters two and three capture key findings for several major BRT initiatives, in particular in Cape Town (South Africa), George (South Africa), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), providing a basis for the characterization of challenges and factors that impact financial sustainability and commercial viability. Chapter four articulates nine fundamental factors and their associated key actions and recommendations to enhance BRTs’ financial sustainability and commercial viability. Finally, chapter five provides a user guide for the factor assessment tool that should be used by decision makers when exploring the possibility of developing BRTs as an urban mobility solution.
Challenges in Urban Mobility and the Way Forward: A Study of Maseru, Lusaka, and Harare Cities
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-01) World Bank
This report is the outcome of brief visits to three cities - Maseru, Lusaka, and Harare, culminating in a Southern Africa regional workshop in Livingstone in May 2019. The objective of this workshop was to: (a) develop an understanding of the complexity of urban transport; (b) learn from international experience; and (c) develop a common platform where the smaller capital cities in Southern Africa can exchange ideas and consider options to address their current urban mobility issues. Three simultaneous trends present significant transport challenges to cities in developing countries. The first two make the third even more dramatic and impactful. They are: rapid urbanization; rapid economic development and income growth; and rapid motorization. The report is divided into eight sections. The first three sections focus on the overall challenges faced by the cities and their institutional, strategic planning, and policy contexts. Sections 4 and 5 describe the road infrastructure characteristics and challenges faced by public transport and nonmedical transportation (NMT), which form the main focus of this report. Chapter 6 outlines the distinct issues faced by women and the physically challenged. The last two sections outline the focus of attention needed to address the growing challenges of urban mobility and the way ahead.
Container Terminal Concession Guidelines
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06) Juhel, Marc H.
The decision, by a national government or a port authority, to contract out the development and operation of a container terminal facility to a qualified private operator sets in motion a process involving relationships with quite a different set of players compared to traditional port operations and management. It also most often requires a change in the function of the port authority, either from service provider to regulator, or from licensing authority to long-term contract manager, or a mix of both. Whatever the specific local conditions in play, this means a clear evolution in the respective roles of the public and private players having to work together to deliver the services expected by the clients of the port and the national economy at large. Effectively dealing with experienced private container terminal operators requires public counterparts, port authorities and government administrations, to master the legal and institutional skills necessary to reach balanced and profitable arrangements for their countries. Even when the required legal framework has been thoroughly established, existing institutions may find it hard to adjust to dealing with partners whose short-term objectives may not at first sight coincide systematically with the long-term policy goals of public authorities. However, past and current experience does show that both can be preserved, provided both sides have the tools and skills needed to reach an effective contractual agreement. Not surprisingly, as this is the nature of the markets they have been operating in, private operators will bring to the negotiation table very strong legal competencies and experienced negotiating skills. Since these skills were not so much required to deliver their usual mandate so far, many port authorities may lack at the outset a comparable capacity. While on-the-job training will definitely be part of the learning process, specialized assistance by transaction management professionals is often warranted. The Guidelines will identify key areas that typically may need support to ensure a successful outcome.
Road Management Policy: An Approach to the Evaluation of Road Agency Performance
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-04) Pinard, Michael Ian
Road transport is the most pervasive of all transport modes in Africa and is central to the socioeconomic growth and development of all countries in the region. For it to be effective as a catalyst for development, road provision must be institutionally, economically, financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable. The main objective of the present document is to analyze the commercialized road management (CRM) and publicly available specification (PAS) evaluation approaches for assessing road agency performance in road asset management. The document also considers how the two approaches can be amalgamated to enhance the evaluation of roads agency performance in terms of key benchmarks for good road asset management practice. Finally, the document reflects on indicators that can be incorporated in an appropriate asset management evaluation framework to: (1) measure the progress being made towards commercialization of road administrations; and (2) monitor the performance of roads agencies in terms of the efficiency and effectiveness with which they undertake their responsibilities in the road sub-sector. The report is structured as follows: section one presents the background to the working paper, including its purpose and structure. Section two considers the need for a holistic approach to assessing road agency performance in road asset management. Section three provides an overview of the alternative approaches to assessing roads agency capacity in asset management and their ability to pinpoint those key elements that contribute to effective and efficient road asset management. Section four compares and contrasts the outcomes of the assessment of road agency capacity in road asset management produced by the alternative approaches and uses data from three countries to compare the outcomes produced by the two methods. Section five considers various performance measures and indicators that can be adopted to monitor and report upon on a continuing basis road agency performance in asset management. Section six presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study including a plan of action to implement the best aspects of both approaches to assessing roads agency capacity in road asset management.
Policies for Sustainable Accessibility and Mobility in Urban Areas of Africa
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-01) Stucki, Martin
This paper: Gives the reader an overview of the main accessibility and mobility issues faced by African urban areas, namely stemming from benchmark analysis among representative urban areas selected across the continent; Provides the reader with an overview of the lessons stemming from international experience over the past twenty years; and Proposes a conceptual framework and a set of policy recommendations meant to improve accessibility and mobility conditions in urban areas of Africa.
Africa Transport Policies Performance Review : The Need for More Robust Transport Policies
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-01) Runji, Justin
This working paper summarizes the key findings of the African Transport Policy Performance Review, carried out by SSATP in selected Anglophone and Francophone countries in 2013. It highlights the performance of transport policies focusing on the main transportation modes, excluding maritime and aviation, and is augmented by outcomes of related work carried out mainly by SSATP and the World Bank. The key objective is to convey the salient messages, and to point out the need for more transformational and pragmatic transport policy objectives and strategies, in an effort to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of the sector. The paper addresses some fundamental policy issues, that affect transport performance in Sub-Saharan African countries and is intended for transport sector policy level decision-makers.
Private Sector Involvement in Road Financing
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-12) Brocklebank, Peter
Achieving private sector involvement in financing, provision and management of roads requires specialized legal and institutional frameworks, public sector expertise, advisor support and sustained political commitment. In many African States, there is little experience of private sector involvement in the road sector but there is encouragement to promote such involvement from development partners. Increased private sector involvement in public sector procurement has been for many years an important aspect of the infrastructure investment policy of development partners, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are one of a number of initiatives being pursued within Africa, in relation to road sector reforms. In particular, the road sector reforms under the Road Management Initiative (RMI), launched in 1988 by the SSATP and the World Bank, in collaboration with other development partners have sought to improve road service delivery by reforming public sector institutions and legislation through clearly defined responsibility, ownership, stable financing and commercialized road management. Section two of this paper provides the general requirements for private sector involvement in road financing, provision and management, including contractual and procurement issues. Section 3 introduces the three case study projects. Sections four, five, and six provide the findings of the case studies undertaken in Dakar, Accra and Lagos respectively. Section seven summarizes the conclusions of key issues and policy guidance from the case study analysis.
Reviving Trade Routes : Evidence from the Maputo Corridor
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-11) Sequeira, Sandra; Hartmann, Olivier; Kunaka, Charles
Most trade moves along a few high-density routes: the corridors. Improving their performance has emerged as a necessary ingredient for growth and integration into the regional and global economy. In Africa, this is recognized at the continental level, where program for infrastructure development in Africa (PIDA) has identified 42 corridors that should form a core network for regional integration and global connectivity. Several distinctive features appear to be necessary conditions for a successful corridor, namely (i) a combination of public and private investments to improve infrastructure, (ii) an institutional framework to promote and facilitate coordination, (iii) a focus on operational efficiency of the logistics services and infrastructure, and (iv) a proven economic potential. Reviewing the experience of an apparently successful corridor can help one learn the optimal mix and trade-offs among the ingredients and enable replication of success on other corridors. The lessons from the Maputo corridor can help the regional economic communities (REC), countries, corridor users, and development partners to better focus their corridor strategies to maximize economic growth. The present work focuses on three aspects of its revival: corridors as enablers of trade and economic development; improvement of logistics through investments and reforms; institutional framework adapted according to objectives.
Good Policies and Practices on Rural Transport in Africa : Planning Infrastructure and Services
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-09) Hine, John
This publication forms part of the work of the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) on identifying and promoting good policies and practices in rural transport in Africa. It provides an overall framework for identifying, planning, and prioritizing rural transport infrastructure and services interventions. Inadequate rural transport is a major factor contributing to the poverty of the rural population of most developing countries. For large parts of rural Africa, walking and headloading are by far the most important means of transport, most of this effort being undertaken by women. A key element is to encourage a holistic understanding of rural transport. In the context of this paper, the term covers both transport at the village and farm levels, as well as the transport services and infrastructure involved with the movement of people and goods within the village area and between villages, rural markets, and urban areas. First and foremost, though, the role of planning and prioritization is emphasized; a process based on reliable data is introduced, along with the elements of clarity and transparency. The planning process includes clearly identified objectives, relevant data, resources and constraints, and alternative scenarios. The intended audience for this paper comprises of officials, planners, economists, and engineers who are concerned with improving the livelihoods of the rural populations of Africa. Since the majority of external funding goes into initiatives for building rural roads, it is argued that much greater attention needs to be given to the other components of rural transport systems. The methods for planning and prioritization of infrastructure and services are discussed, and suggested further research is articulated. Two appendices providing examples of road planning and district planning procedures are included, along with ten figures interspersed throughout the paper.