Connecting through public transport: accessibility to health and education in major African cities

Aiga Stokenberga, Eulalie Saïsset (), Tamara Kerzhner and Xavier Espinet Alegre
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Aiga Stokenberga: World Bank Group
Eulalie Saïsset: CRIS - Centre de recherche sur les inégalités sociales (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Tamara Kerzhner: University of Toronto
Xavier Espinet Alegre: World Bank Group

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Abstract: Transport matters for health and education outcomes, by ensuring physical access to crucial facilities. Using spatial modelling techniques and routable public transport service data, this study assesses the effectiveness of mostly semi fixed-route public transport systems in connecting people to advanced healthcare and education facilities in African cities. Uncovering significant pockets of ‘accessibility poverty' – travel times above an acceptable level – it underscores the inequality in access within the cities, disproportionately affecting poor populations. Proximity of public transport to homes matters but has limited impact, due to how the routes, operated mainly by informal service providers, are allocated across the urban space and the low technical performance. The low ‘value added' of public transport compared to walking helps explain the prevalence of foot travel. Tailored policy interventions – improving the public transport systems and, equally importantly, ensuring more equitable spatial distribution of advanced healthcare facilities – emerge as crucial strategies for addressing accessibility poverty.

Keywords: Accessibility; Urban transport and mobility; Health; Education; Public transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-06-28
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Published in Area Development and Policy, 2024, pp.1-18. ⟨10.1080/23792949.2024.2364619⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-04661340

DOI: 10.1080/23792949.2024.2364619

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