Meta-analysis of travel of the poor in West and Southern african cities

There have been few attempts in the past to compare travel survey findings in francophone and anglophone African countries. The low-income populations of West and Southern African cities however share many socio-economic characteristics that influence travel behaviour (e.g. high levels of under-and unemployment, limited household resources, low levels of private vehicle ownership, etc). It is argued that an analysis of travel behaviour findings across these contexts would be beneficial to transport planners and policy-makers in Africa to bridge the French-English language divide. The aim of the paper is therefore to identify similarities and differences in travel behaviour amongst low-income populations in francophone and Anglophone African countries, and to discuss their implications for the formulation of policies and strategies directed at improving the travel conditions of the poor. The available French and English literature on travel behaviour in African cities is reviewed, which, together with the experiences of the authors in analysing passenger travel data collected in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal and South Africa, enables a meta-analysis of African travel survey findings amongst low-income populations in particular. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications its findings have for the formulation of policies and strategies directed at improving the travel conditions of the poor. Particular attention is paid to the importance of walking as a travel mode, and to its equitable and efficient accommodation in policy and practice.