Urban Transport in the Developing

World
Elements of Urban Transport
Sector
Urban public transport:
On-street systems (for buses, trolley-buses, trams)
Mixed on-street and off-street systems (bus lanes, bus ways and light rail)
Off-street systems (metros and commuter rail)

The urban road system

Traffic management systems (for increasing the efficiency of available road
space)
Non-motorized transport systems (facilities for pedestrians and people
powered vehicles)
Urban transport institutions (planning, design, finance, implementation, and
enforcement)
Purpose
Purpose of urban transport. Successful urban transport systems ought
to increase commercial and labor market efficiency, increase access to
amenities, and make changes in the scale and form of urban
agglomerations possible, all without undue adverse effects on the
environment.
Importance
Importance of urban transport. The urban sector in most developing
countries accounts for at least 50 percent of the gross national product and
in some countries over 70 %. Cities in developing countries often devote 15 %
to 25 % of their annual expenditures to their transport systems, and
sometimes much more.
Household expenditures on urban transport. In developing countries it is
common to find that 5 % to 10 % of urban household income is spent on

transport. In some cases the figure is 15% or more.

General Trends in Urban Transport
Sector
Rapid growth of urban areas. Cities are major engines of
growth in most developing countries, and urban populations
are expanding at a high rate (more than 6 percent annually or
doubling in size in less than 12 years).
Very rapid increase in motorization. Urban motor vehicle
ownership and usage is growing even faster than the urban
population. Vehicle ownership growth rates of 15-20% per year
in developing countries is not uncommon. This has been largely
caused by growing per capita incomes in urban areas.
General Trends in Urban Transport
Sector
Substantial increases in traffic congestion. Ownership and usage of vehicles
is growing much faster than the ability to provide road space and alternative
means of coping with the problem. Severe traffic congestion, and its adverse
side effects on the urban economy, environment, and society are being felt
in many cities.
Relative decline of public transport usage and services. The growing
reliance on private vehicles has resulted in a substantial decline in the share
of total trips being provided by urban public transport systems in many
cities. Similarly, the travel environment for pedestrians and people-powered
vehicles has rapidly declined. This trend is particularly unfavorable for the
urban poor as they are typically captive riders and often dependent on
public transit for access to employment.
General Trends in Urban Transport
Sector
Shift from public to private sector provision of services and
facilities. The public sector is increasingly relying on the
private sector to provide these facilities and services. It is
estimated that at least 80% of all urban bus services
provided around the world are now privately owned and
operated. Increasingly cities are arranging for the private
provision of urban transport infrastructure. In short, cities
are moving from providers of transport infrastructure and
services to facilitators.
General Trends in Urban
Transport Sector
Rapid introduction of Intelligent Technology Systems (ITS).
recent development of improved "intelligent technologies"
(electronic toll collection systems, centralized traffic control
systems, automatic vehicle location systems for public
transport systems, and other similar technologies) has
resulted in better utilizing urban transport facilities.
The costs of these technologies are rapidly declining while
their practical applications improve. This presents an
opportunity for those developing countries with adequate
financial and staff resources to "leapfrog" forward in
applying these technologies to urban transport problems.
General Trends in Urban
Transport Sector
Shift from new road construction to intensive management
of urban road networks and improved public transit.
Growing recognition that cities cannot build enough road
capacity to accommodate the growth in travel demand by
means of the private vehicle.
While road networks will be required, especially in rapidly
growing cities, greater reliance is being placed on (a) more
intensive management of travel demand, (b) traffic
management techniques to increase the practical capacity of
available road space, and (c) improved urban public
transport systems.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT :
WE MUST BREAK THE VICIOUS CIRCLE

- Car traffic
appropriately
charged
- Controlled parking PUBLIC
HIGHER QUALITY TRANSPORT
OF URBAN LIFE MORE
COMMERCIALLY
VIABLE
- Less car traffic
- Less congestion
- Possibly more fund
for PT

- Urban sprawl under

control
- More attractive
- More efficient use of cities and city
road infrastructure centres
- Commercial speed - Higher individual
of PT increases transport costs
- More cost-efficient - Less subsidies
PT operation needed
- Better quality for - More PT - PT more market
passengers customers oriented
- More PT revenue
PUBLIC TRANSPORT ...
... costs less to the community
... needs less urban space
... is less energy-intensive
... pollutes less
... is the safest mode
... improves accessibility to jobs
... offers mobility for all
IMPACT OF MODAL
SPLIT ON MOBILITY
COST
IMPACT OF MODAL SPLIT ON MOBILITY COST AND
ENERGY DEMAND

Cities Density % walking + Journey cost Energy

(inhab/ha) cycling + PT (% of GDP) (Mj/inhab)
Houston 9 5% 14.1 % 86,000
Sydney 19 25 % 11.0 % 30,000
London 59 51 % 7.1 % 14,500
Paris 48 56 % 6.7 % 15,500
Munich 56 60 % 5.8 % 17,500
Tokyo 88 68 % 5.0 % 11,500
Hong Kong 320 82 % 5.0 % 6,500
IMPACT OF MODAL SPLIT ON ACCESS TO JOBS
Density % walking + Motorised Access by PT
(inhab/ha) cycling + PT mobility (km to 500,000
Cities per year and jobs
per inhab)

Houston 9 5% 25,600 70 mn

Melbourne 14 26 % 13,100 57 mn

Paris 48 56 % 7,250 31 mn

Munich 56 60 % 8,850 26 mn

Tokyo 88 68 % 9,900 21 mn

Singapore 94 48 % 7,850 27 mn

Hong Kong 320 82 % 5,000 21 mn

 IMPACT OF MODAL SPLIT ON
MOBILITY COST

The cost of transport for the community Modal share of Cost of transport
public transport to the Community
in cities with a high share of public (%mechanized and (% of GDP)
transport is up to half the cost in cities motorized trips)
where the private car is dominant. This
1995 2001 1995 2001
difference represents a saving of 2.000
EUR per inhabitant per year. Geneva 18,8 21,7 10,2 9,4
Cities characterized by the lowest cost of London 23,9 26,8 8,5 7,5
transport to the community are often
those where expenditure in public Madrid 23,4 29,1 12,2 10,4
transport is the highest.
Paris 27,1 27,5 6,8 6,7

Vienna 43,2 46,6 6,9 6,6

IMPACT OF MODAL SPLIT ON ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
Who Uses Public Transportation
and Why?
People take transit to make money and to spend money

Median household income for transit users - $39,000

65% of riders take it to commute

56% would use private vehicles if no transit available

53% of U.S. households have no access to public transit

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 Shift From Auto to Transit
Lowers Dependence on Foreign
Fuel

Saves 1.4 billion gallons of

gasoline annually -- or
4 million gallons of gasoline Oil
per day Consumption
Drops

18
Public Transportation is a
Net
Carbon Reducer
Net CO(2) savings from public transportation 6.9 million metric tons direct
savings

Secondary savings suggest leverage effect for transit

A household can save 10% of its carbon footprint if one worker commutes
by transit

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Benefits of Public
Transportation: Boosts
The Economy

$1 billion of $ 6 billion in
federal economic returns
Produces
investment
in transit

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Reduces Congestion;
Costs Would Have Been
13% Worse
Public transportation saves $10.2 billion in
user costs and 541 million hours in travel
time
Without transit, congestion would be
18% more in 14 largest urban areas
Size of city not the issue: intensity of transit is
(feel free to change wording)

-- people cant use what they dont have