to discuss the current situation, develop new policy directions, and specify needed and ongoing studies for improving rural travel and transport in sub-saharan africa, three hypotheses are postulated:(a) poor rural roads, with inadequate and high cost of road transport services and lack of affordable means of transport, seriously constrain rural economic and social development; (b) significant time savings and productivity gains can be achieved by using intermediate means of transport (imts) ranging from wheelbarrows to motorcycles, with significant impact on women; and (c) returns on investments in imts and low-cost rural infrastructure will be so high that private people will respond, with the government's role being largely promotional. Current rural travel and transport are dominated by head loading and walking (largely by women) to satisfy the daily travel and goods movement needs of rural populations in sub-saharan africa. Although rural roads and off-road transport may interact synergistically, with each amplifying the economic and social impact of the other, this interaction has not been directly studied or quantified. Imts would save large amounts of time and energy and reduce drudgery, particularly for women. When imts have been introduced and used in the transport system, private individuals have usually developed and reaped the benefits. The better understanding that is required of the nature of rural travel and transport and its impact on rural development is being addressed in current studies under the sub-saharan africa transport program by the world bank and the economic commission ofafrica with the support of bilateral donors. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1291, Fifth international conference on low-volume roads, may 19-23, 1991, raleigh, north carolina, volume 1.
Abstract