Partnerships to improve access and quality of public transport for the urban poor

A new project funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) Infrastructure and Urban Development Department.

Project Team:

Project Management by WEDC, Loughborough University, UK.

Project Purpose:
To identify, explore and document critical issues in the provision of transport services for and in low-income settlements in Karachi, with a view to develop methodology to address policy and operational issues.

Project Duration:
September 1999 - March 2000.

Why are we doing this project?
The assumption of this research project is that transport services make a significant contribution to the livelihood strategies of the urban poor. The contribution (both positive and negative) to livelihoods includes access to employment and income generation opportunities, education, health, and social networks such as extended families which can help in securing incomes and necessary goods and services

Many bilateral and multilateral agancies are strongly advocating partnerships as a mean of providing transport services. It is crucial for public transport to be successful and sustainable and that the poor are not neglected during transport planning. There are many attitudinal, procedural, regulatory , and political barriers that needs to be overcome in order to have pro-poor transprot arrangements.

Focus of the Project:
The focal question to be addressed is how to improve the access and quality of public transport for the urban the poor. The work will focus on formal and informal relationships (contracts), roles and responsibilities in the context of the projects where the transport services have been provided to the poor.

What we propose to do:
The research method will use cases study method utilizing interviews and a series of focus group discussion at settlement and city level. The project will contribute to an understanding of some of the issues vulnerability of the roles of key public and private organizations. The project will also address the key issue of the contribution of partnerships in public transport to sustainable livelihoods for the urban poor.The research will develop and test the methodology using literature review, historical analysis, case studies, focus group discussions, forums and workshops. We hope to extend this work to other cities worldwide in a further phase of the project.

Where we will be working:
The focus of the research will be Karachi, Pakistan, which is a city of between 10-13 million in the south of Pakistan. It is a city with a diversity of economic activities and a wide mix of different social groups including a substantive migrant community, drawn primarily from India and other areas in Pakistan.

What the work will produce:
The following are the proposed outputs

Spreading the word:
Outputs will be published in UK and South Asia with primary dissemination via local partners networks. We will manage an email conference on the project outputs which will also be available on WEDC website. Subsequent secondary dissemination will include translation by local publishers. Workshops at settlement and city level will be held; and international media attention will also be sought through such organizations as the Panos Institute and the BBC World Service.

To find out more, please contact:
Dr. M.Sohail,
WEDC,
Loughborough University,
Leicestershire,
LE11 3TU,
UK

Tel: +44 1509 222885
Fax: +44 1509 211079
Email: M.Sohail@lboro.ac.uk

Updated 31/01/03

Maintained by f.o.odhiambo@lboro.ac.uk and j.fisher1@lboro.ac.uk