| The problems, policies, and prospects of urban transport have assumed added urgency due to the pressing need in Senegal and The Gambia to improve both its supply and standard. The inadequacies and inefficiencies of urban transportation services are major barriers to socioeconomic development and national integration, by hampering public and private efforts to exploit natural resources, distribute finished goods, and link agricultural and industrial sectors of the economy. Improvements in transport lead to more convenient access to socioeconomic opportunities, especially for the large number of the poor (34% in Senegal and 64% in The Gambia), a large portion of whom are clustered in squatter, or peripheral, settlements, far from the city centers in which economic opportunities and services are concentrated.; Policy analyses of privatization reform and regulation is attempted to answer the question what is the potential effectiveness of privatization and regulation in the provision of urban transport in Senegal and The Gambia. This is done by reviewing urban transport reform/privatization efforts in other developing countries to develop a conceptual framework to illustrate best practices and lessons learnt. Numerous field trips were taken to The Gambia, Senegal, and Kenya, in order to review internal documentation, observe transport operators and conduct unstructured interviews, and interact with city and transportation policy-makers.; Privatization has proved in some cases to lead to increased efficiency and lower fares. However, if coordinated support and regulatory mechanisms are not put in place, then some of these efficiency benefits measured through labor productivity—staff per bus, and number of passengers per member of staff—and capital productivity will be eroded by dysfunction. Case studies of Senegal and The Gambia illustrate that the informal sector has an important role in the provision of urban transport. However, if not regulated, it can become extremely chaotic, thereby increasing congestion and accidents. For competition to be ordered effectively there needs to be a legal system that establishes and protects property rights, principles of fair trade, and effective procedures for enforcing these; a policy-making system that is capable of developing public policy objectives for urban public transport; and an institutional competence (administrative, technical, and financial resources) to put policy into action. Where it is not possible to strengthen institutional capabilities to the extent consistent with the preferred competitive regime, then the choice of regime may be adapted to suit the circumstances. Without complimentary actions in these areas, it will be very difficult for Senegal and The Gambia to achieve sustainable urban transport improvements. A number of important structural, economic, and financial issues remain as governments consider the privatization or commercialization of transport assets and activities. Among the most difficult are procedures for oversight of concessions and for avoiding anti-competitive behavior; handling public obligations; developing regulatory structures for safety and service standards; and modifications to nationalistic ownership restrictions in an increasingly global sector. |
