 "A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation."
If the truth of this statement is not immediately apparent, you probably have never commuted in a West African city. Accra needs a lot of infrastructure improvements, but one thing it does not need are more cars. After work, I can run the two miles to my gym faster than I could take a taxi there. Traffic is similarly bad in Kumasi and Dakar, and is rapidly worsening in Tamale. Driving is no picnic in American cities, either. The difference? In American cities, rich people often choose to live in places accessible to public transportation, and their taxes and patronage support transit systems that benefit the rich and poor alike (even LA is getting on the bandwagon). In developing country cities, the poor take low quality public transit, such as trotros and shared taxis, while the rich clog the roads with their private cars and taxis. While roads in developing country cities could certainly be improved (I would love to see someone apply traffic light efficiency models to Accra traffic), the reality is there is limited capacity to expand current roads or build new ones in the middle of the city. Poor people are already taking public transport. That leaves one viable solution to traffic in developing country cities: getting rich people to convert to public transport. For practical and cultural reasons, this is an uphill battle. First, the main reason rich people use public transport in developed cities is not because they are altruistic, it is because it is faster and easier than driving. Accra currently has no public transit system that can rival the speed and efficiency of a private car. Considerable investment would have to be made in a rail or bus system with widespread coverage and efficiency in order to convince people to convert. Second, there is a cultural attachment to driving. Owning a car is a definitive status symbol in West Africa; taxi drivers are often confused when I, a person who apparently has the money to take a taxi, choose to walk. Improving traffic in Accra will require a commitment from the wealthy and elite-- both foreigners and Ghanaians-- to get out of their air conditioned Toyota Landcruisers and both fund and use public tran
22 Comments
10/8/2012 05:07:49 pm
All the efforts you put in the blog post is appreciable. Entire blog is informative. Looking forward to read more blogs and contents from you about the new city traffic system. Wish you luck!
Manila Commuter
10/9/2012 11:03:00 pm
This is exactly the same in the Philippines, Manila in particular. 3/24/2013 11:01:23 pm
Thanks for the information. You have shared some good important information about traffic control and road safety. I am sure that many readers will learn from your blog and develop a better approach towards safety on the road and minimizing the accidents and pollution. Your article brings out a lot of sense. Yes it is very true that a developed country is that country that rich travel in public transport and not that one where the poor own cars. The essentiality of good public transportation facility is a critical factor in the development of a country. Your page should be raising at least a few eyebrows. 10/10/2013 07:33:22 pm
People should be familiar with every type of education and traffic education is one of them. Many people are not familiar with traffic education and to study more about this education visit to our website. 10/11/2013 07:00:18 pm
People should be familiar from traffic education because lot of accidents happen when people are not familiar about rules and regulation about traffic. If anybody want to read about education then don't worry and visit to our website.
You truly make it appear so uncomplicated with your presentation but I come across this subject matter to be seriously something which I feel I would never comprehend. It looks too difficult and really broad for me. We’re wanting ahead to your subsequent publish, I am going to seek to get the hang of it! 1/24/2014 04:20:09 am
Really new or maybe awesome advertising campaign, We listened to at true dream who will be possibly not if you ask me as a consequence of my own, personal wary. Although, you receive could the girl's not very likely - to remain i really do to find out the whole noises or even entertaining if you would like your pet, which had been a good, in order to meet what precisely That we identified confront or even just what exactly realized. 4/18/2016 11:33:29 pm
Public be supposed to be common from transfer instruction since lot of accidents ensue when public are not recognizable about set of laws and parameter about traffic. 5/12/2016 10:22:49 pm
Standing in the central of the street is very unsafe; you get hit down by the traffic from both borders...I irritated when i was going to the market..There were a lot of traffic.. 5/18/2016 12:19:13 am
You have shared some great imperative data about activity control and street well-being. Individuals ought to be acquainted with each sort of training and movement instruction is one of them. Open should be normal from exchange direction since parcel of mishaps follow when open are not conspicuous about arrangement of laws and parameter about movement. 10/2/2016 05:09:47 am
Individuals ought to be natural from activity instruction since parcel of mishaps happen when individuals are not commonplace about guidelines and direction about movement. In the event that anyone need to peruse about instruction then don't stress and visit to our site. 10/12/2016 10:55:17 pm
For down to earth and social reasons, this is a daunting task. To start with, the principle reason rich individuals utilize open transport in created urban areas is not on the grounds that they are unselfish, it is on account of it is speedier and less demanding than driving. 11/13/2016 01:09:01 pm
For rational and social reasons, this is an overwhelming assignment. You have shared some extraordinary basic information about action control and road prosperity. 7/31/2017 02:09:29 pm
7/31/2017 02:10:18 pm
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3/21/2019 03:04:19 am
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About Liz
I have worked in economic policy and research in Washington, D.C. and Ghana. My husband and I recently moved to Guyana, where I am working for the Ministry of Finance. I like riding motorcycle, outdoor sports, foreign currencies, capybaras, and having opinions. Archives
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