In some cities in Pakistan, the regulation of urban public transport is being channelled through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) formed specifically for this purpose. This paper provides an analysis of the effectiveness of NGO based regulatory system, by evaluating the changes in the performance and the quality of services offered. It is argued that the services under this new form of regulation are a measurable success, providing substantial improvements and commanding wide acceptance both by passengers and by private operators. It is concluded that the NGOs have provided an effective `arms length' mechanism for decision-making, which has circumvented problems associated with government bureaucracies. In the absence of more radical reforms, the NGO mechanism offers the best prospects for further improvements to public transport services in Pakistan in the medium term. In other less developed countries with similar regulatory problems and similarly deficient bureaucracies, it may also be possible to emulate this success. (A) The French title of the paper is: "La régulation des transports public en Pakistan : un rôle pour les ONG".
Abstract