At the end of the feeder road: Upgrading rural footpaths to motorcycle taxi-accessible tracks in Liberia
| Autor: | Krijn Peters, Jack Jenkins, Paul Richards |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Market integration
Semi-subsistence farming 0211 other engineering and technologies Intermediate means of transport Taxis Qualitative property Improved access 02 engineering and technology Plant Science Development Track (rail transport) Ontwikkelingseconomie Motorcycle taxi transport Development Economics Tracks Rural development Environmental planning Access to health and education 021107 urban & regional planning 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Intervention (law) Agrarian society 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Animal Science and Zoology Business Rural area Agronomy and Crop Science Food Science |
| Zdroj: | NJAS-Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 92 (2020) NJAS-Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 92 |
| ISSN: | 1573-5214 |
| Popis: | Access to transport is essential for agrarian development in isolated rural areas. Over the last 20 years, most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have seen a dramatic change in farm-to-market transport following the introduction and spread of motorcycle taxis. So far, this has been a spontaneous and market-driven phenomenon. What kind of infrastructure development is needed to further support this local revolution in farm transport? Our study uses a technographic frame to describe and assess the socio-economic and technical impact of upgrading inter-village footpaths to render them usable by motorcycle taxis in off-road rural northern Liberia. We gathered pre-intervention baseline data and post-intervention impact data over a three-year period in villages benefitting from the intervention and in control villages. The quantitative data were supplemented with qualitative data gathered prior, during and after the intervention. We found that upgrading rural footpaths to motorcycle taxi-accessible tracks promotes market integration, improves access to education and health facilities, and creates jobs for rural youth, with few negative consequences. Since most motorised transport in deep rural areas takes place by motorcycle taxi in any case, track construction can complement or serve as an alternative to expensive feeder road improvement or construction. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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