Quantifying the economic benefits of public transportation in Kampala
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Baertsch-2020-policy-brief-19148.pdf
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- Traffic congestion is a major issue in cities around the world with potentially negative effects on outcomes ranging from economic activity to health.
- This brief quantifies the cost of congestion in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) and estimates the economic benefits of a planned Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system.
- The researcher finds the daily cost of congestion in GKMA in was equal to USD 1.5 million (4.2% of GKMA’s daily GDP).
- On the other hand, the two BRT lines planned to be implemented in Kampala city are estimated to lead to daily travel time reductions of 173,000 USD (0.5% of the GKMA’s daily GDP). This means the costs of construction can be recovered after 12 years.
- The researcher makes three policy recommendations on how public investment in infrastructure can address congestion.