The Choice Is Yours! What Do You Want To Talk About?

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Permalink Reply by Hellen Attarsingh Gupta on August 20, 2011 at 9:48am

Thank you for your interest to read about our interests of discussions. Actually, mine is real important, but many people leaves it as a normal case.

I always think about public transport in African countries, third world countries. I think of it compared to public transport in some of third world countries. I don't want to compare with developed countries, due to the fact that we are still very far behind the standards.

I have been to Kenya several times, and I enjoyed the public transport, because the country law restricts over loading. By law, any passenger who will be caught up standing inside the public transport, will be penalised, same applies to the driver. A good penalty. That's why the public transport is smooth in Kenya.

In Tanzania, even if the vehicles are plenty to a certain area, especially in huge cities, the law doesn't allow for passengers to stand, but in actual daily performance, the vehicles are overloaded to the extent that some passengers stands by one leg!!! The law is there, but all traffic police will pretent not to see it!!! If you ask them, you get many answers like, "Every body needs the service", "no one likes to be late", "The owners of the vehicles are big bosses in government institutions", etc etc.

My concern is, HOW CAN KENYANS AFFORD? WHILE OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES FAIL? Does it mean they are rich, very rich enough to provide sufficient public transport? Or, they obey because they are very well paid? Or many people have their own vehicles? or?????

 

If you travel to Arabic countries, the discipline is super!!! A man cannot squeeze a woman while boarding. The public buses are clean, safe and comfortable. Men having their own seat arrangement, same to women. While in Tanzania, the stronger one seats before the weak, sick, pregnant, disabled, etc etc. In Tanzania, for example, a worn-out Hiace, coaster, etc very old, leaking during rains, etc, is on road, working almost 24 hrs!!

 

Please, let us discuss this topic, and give idea, how can we improve. Instead of taking 4 private cars from one family at per, if we improve our public transport, we can use them, save costs, reduce trafic jam, and make life more easier and enjoyable.  What is your opinion?

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Fasil Damte on August 20, 2011 at 2:43pm

Dear Hannah,

Thank you very much for creating us this opportunity.

I would very much like to talk about managing knowledge in development projects.  Similarly I would love to hear discussions on effective team leadership.

 

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Permalink Reply by PAUL GAKUMBA on August 23, 2011 at 11:28am

Hi, Kenyans afford in which context?, Kenyans are doing in large number!!!!!! find out from Turkan Region, does it mean that Kenya is a poor country or is just lack of strategic planning and contingent reserves into consideration?.

Critical Planning is seriously and highly needed in Kenyan context, Leadership committeemen is also an issues to be addresseed not only Kenya alone but for the whole East African member states. confir

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Permalink Reply by Fasil Damte on August 24, 2011 at 4:17pm

I like the issue raised by Hellen.  It is true public transportation in developing countries seems to be very much below the standard.  I'm saying this because I only know of the case in Ethiopia.  I believe it takes the involvement of governments to improve this sector.  The first thing that needs to be dealt with is the infrastructure.  I don't think the vehicles and the trains are as such expensive once the roads and the railways are adequately set.  Ethiopian government is working very hard to improve this sector, to my knowledge.  There has been a lot of improvement in the sector in the past ten years.  Up to the standard roads have been built by the government. In the coming five years it has already been planned to connect all parts of the country with rail ways in addition to the asphalted roads to be built.  Then I think the private sector will be motivated to import comfortable and adequate means of public transportaion like buses and trains.  What is more the governmet is working to attract foreign investors into the field.  Very hopefully Ethiopia will have better public transportation in in the coming six or seven years. 

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Permalink Reply by Sithole Humbe on August 31, 2011 at 6:04am

Dear Hanna

After much consideration i have decided to add my voice to public transport issue raised by Hellen. The fundamental aspect to be be considered first is law enactment and law enforcement. The second fact goes with Capacity Building of the sector . The third goes with national transport policy issue and clear government position on public transport.

 

I have seen it in my country Zimbabwe that the Road Traffic Act is there and has subsisidiary acts such as Road Motor Transportion where it is forbidden to overload both passengers and cargo. Penalty fees are gazzetted in black and white but the problem goes deeper than that. The industry does not have capacity to move passengers and cargo at the required time because of operational challenges hence even if they are disembarked at road blocks, the public then suffer a double tragedy.

 

Zimbabwe has a good road network second to South Africa in the SADC region although 70% of it requires rehabilitation. The road and rail infrastructure are passable but they are affected by reduced funding into the maintenance of those infrastructure. The public transport fleet has dwindled over the past 10 years hence people have resorted to private vehicles for transportaion of goods and people. My country is jostling with pirate tax operators in an effort to reduce chaos but in the end of the tunnel the registered public operators do not have capacity to meet demand.

 

Kenya managed to be abound by the traffic laws because of unity of purpose and capacity plus willingness of Government through capital injection into the sector. If any developing country intends to have a sound public transport system, it has to first develop a robust national transport policy, have acts that are implementable considering the state of the economy. The final phase of it is to have a formidable law enforcement agents who are not corrupt in their state of minds. The operators need support of their Government and be allowed to partner with outside operators to augument internal shortages.

 

Attitude change of the operators and drivers will be the last of the line to achieve a sound public transport system before we talk of good roads.

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Permalink Reply by Mwiranga on September 8, 2011 at 1:04pm

Dear Hannah,

 

Thank you for steering stimulating discussions. 

Various organisations/countries have embraced different MfDR tools and initiatives to help deliver the targeted development results and have all registered a varying degree of results.  A number of organisations/countries have adopted one or more of the following approaches and/or tools: result-based management, rapid results approach, performance contracting, result-based M&E, strategic planning, results-based budgeting, performance budgeting, balanced score card, citizen engagement e.t.c.

 

Is there a 'optimal' or 'near optimal' mix of these approaches and tools? What mix has effectively delivered targeted development results in the shortest time? Is there a 'rule-of-the-thumb' as far as introduction of these approaches and tools is concerned?  Is the introduction of these approached/tools the only determinant of success?

Discussion of around these issues could demystify differences registered by various implementers.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Joshua

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Permalink Reply by Hannah J Cooper on September 12, 2011 at 5:10pm

Dear Joshua,

 

Thank you very much for this suggestion. I really like the idea of a general discussion on optimal or near optimal mix of approaches and tool! I think this could be very useful!

 

What do others thing?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Hannah

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