A Methodology for Rapid Assessment of Rural Transport Services

Rural transport services are often
inadequate. Passenger and goods transport needs improving to
stimulate rural economies and reduce poverty. Understanding
existing rural transport systems and constraining factors is
a precondition for appropriate policy action. The
Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP)
commissioned a study to develop and test a methodology for
the rapid assessment of rural transport systems. The
guidelines specified passenger and freight transport for
distances of 5-200 km, encompassing much rural transport,
but excluding within-village transport, long-distance
national transport and international corridors. Rural
transport systems operate on hub and spoke systems at
several levels. Key rural hubs are provincial/regional
towns, market/district towns and villages. The various
spokes and hubs have characteristic combinations of
transport, including trucks, buses, minibuses, pickups and
intermediate means of transport (IMTs). The smallest spokes
are footpaths while national spokes form transport
corridors. The methodology surveys transport types,
operators, users and regulators at sampled hubs and spokes,
stratified by hub hierarchy and remoteness. This provides a
rapid overview of rural transport systems, highlighting key
constraints, stakeholder views and proposals for
improvements. This document contains practical advice
relating to local observations, interview techniques, survey
opportunities and traffic counts. Illustrative data forms
and check lists of possible topics are provided, for
modification according to local needs.