How to build a bus route: Improving accessibility with informal transport operators in Kampala, Uganda
This policy brief examines the gaps in the provision of transport services in Kampala, exploring whether there are useful and profitable minibus routes which are not currently in operation.
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Kerzhner and Mbabazi Policy brief March 2024.pdf
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- “Informal” or private-sector public transport is critically important for mobility in many cities but can be limited in the coverage provided. Operators are constrained by low and unpredictable incomes, little access to credit, and limited information and managerial capacity. They face challenges expanding routes, and some neighbourhoods and destinations may go unserved, despite passenger needs.
- To test whether there are gaps in the provision of services, we ran a pilot project which subsidised existing operators to provide services on a new route in Kampala, Uganda. We ask whether there are useful, profitable minibus routes which are not currently operated.
- Together with the Uganda Transport Operators Federation (UTOF), the initial investment of starting a route – the cost of fuel and drivers’ time until passengers took it up – was subsidised. This allowed operators to experiment in new locations, with new passenger groups. If successful, this approach “seeds” new services without need for continuous subsidy, while limiting the risk for the driver.
- The new service was disproportionately used by women, particularly market and street vendors. It reduced costs and travel times, and improved safety.
- A section of the route continues to operate (as of 3 months post-investment) following just 3 weeks of partial subsidy. This creates a new connection for passengers, but also increases incomes for the operators, without lowering frequencies on existing routes.