Paratransit and Bus Rapid Transit Interaction Approaches and Corresponding Barriers

Sammanfattning: Public transport in many Sub-Saharan African cities consists of paratransit, mini-to-medium-sized buses, which provide public transport and operate demand-driven and unscheduled. This form of public transport is often seen as less safe, less dependable, and environmentally unfriendly. One common intervention is the development of a Bus Rapid Transit system. A Bus Rapid Transit system is characterized by its bus-only lanes and offers a cheaper solution to rail transit systems. The development of such a BRT system changes the structure of the public transport system as BRT often takes over the areas in which paratransit previously operated. This leads to clashes between the stakeholders of the two modes of transport, which can threaten the success of the system as well as the livelihood of the paratransit workforce. This paper uses socio-technical transition theory, as well as stakeholder theory, to provide a clear picture of the entire land passenger mobility system. The focus of this thesis lies on firstly, analyzing the question why the development of BRT is favored over the optimization of paratransit. Secondly, it looks at different interaction approaches between the multi- regimes scheduled public transport (BRT) and paratransit, which can lead to a successful public transport system. Lastly, socio-technical barriers (political, technical, socio-cultural, and economic) are analyzed to understand which obstacles have to be overcome and what corresponding measures are. The results show that the development of Bus Rapid Transit is favored over the optimization of paratransit. Paratransit is seen as unsafe and unreliable, while Bus Rapid Transit offers an efficient, reliable, eco-friendly solution which also targets vulnerable groups. Out of the four different interaction approaches, competition between BRT and paratransit, a hybrid form between paratransit and BRT, the replacement of paratransit, and the prohibition of paratransit, the hybrid form is seen as most successful, as it allows both systems to contribute their strengths. Lastly, the actors involved in the socio-technical system, and socio-technical barriers and corresponding measures were analyzed. The biggest take-away when looking at the actors of the land passenger mobility system is that all stakeholders have to be involved, which includes paratransit drivers and people working on and off the vehicles. This paper has shown that when these stakeholders are not included, there might be resistance that might compromise the success of the BRT. The socio-technical barriers used were divided into economic, financial, infrastructural, and socio-cultural barriers. A successful paratransit / BRT interaction benefits from the move from a target system to a monthly salary for the paratransit driver. There should both be regulations and incentives so that paratransit acts as a reliable partner for the BRT system. It should be noted that a successful BRT / paratransit interaction cannot easily be replicated in another country without looking at the urban form preconditions. Bus Rapid Transit is a feasible solution for many Sub-Saharan cities. For an encompassing public transport system to be successful and to outcompete the car, it is necessary that all stakeholders work together and contribute with their strengths.