[sustran] Re: world bank urban transport strategy

John Ernst johnernst at bigfoot.com
Thu Nov 16 18:34:43 JST 2000


I am not sure, but I imagine bus fares in Singapore are regulated and the 
service is quite good.  I'm just guessing about this because of the 
centralized planning generally used in Singapore.

Craig Thompson is doing some research there, so perhaps he would know have 
some details ... or do others on this list know?

John

At 03:08 PM 11/15/00 -0500, you wrote:
>I've sent some comments to the  author of the World
>Bank's new Urban Transport Strategy, generally favorable, but with a few
>
>areas of disagreement.  I'm wondering if anyone has any empirical
>evidence regarding the issues below...
>
>I expressed the view that the current Strategy's heavy focus blaming
>public transit fare price controls for the deterioration of public
>transit in developing countries (and hence destroying services for the
>poor) was a bit one-sided.  He notes that in many developing countries
>controlling public transit fares led to the deterioration of these
>systems and their replacement eventually with often more expensive
>paratransit systems, particularly in lower income neighborhoods.
>
>My contention is that the takeover of public transit systems by private
>paratransit systems was not entirely due to transit fare controls, and
>that there are no doubt cases where
>
>a) transit services did not deteriorate despite the continuation of
>transit fare controls, and
>b) transit services deteriorated anyway even though there were no
>transit fare controls and prices were allowed to increase.
>
>Does anyone know of documented empirical cases for these two?   I would
>guess that transit fares in Curitiba are regulated and the services are
>not deteriorating, (operators are paid per km at a rate determined by
>the state).  Does anyone have any concrete examples other than Curitiba?
>
>I would also guess that in Indonesia during the economic crisis bus
>fares increased recently (due to fuel price increases) yet the vehicles
>are still deteriorating (incomes for the system are still lower due to
>falling ridership because of the economic crisis).  I also believe in
>much of Central Europe public transit systems have increased their
>prices closer to commericial cost recovery ratios, yet the systems
>continue to deteriorate.  Whether they would have deteriorated more or
>less if fares had not increased is of course difficult to say, but a
>case could be made that they would have deteriorated 'about the same.'
>
>Any opinions or data on this?  I promised to get back to Ken on this.
>
>Thanks
>Walter Hook
>ITDP
>
>
>
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