Dear scholars in the VREF community, 6 December we arranged a virtual Research Forum presenting and discussing three projects within the Mobility and Access in African Cities program (MAC) . Focus of the day was  ”New tools for improving user information and developing more inclusive paratransit planning”.

If you missed out you can now see the recording, download the presentations (below) and follow the active conversation in the chat.

Recent years have seen the emergence of new planning approaches and tools that seek to improve existing information on urban transport systems by integrating perspectives and knowledge from planners, operators and users. In this context there is a great need for more in-depth knowledge about informal (paratransit) services and operations, as well as what information travelers need as they navigate these systems. 

This Research Forum focused on exploratory projects which are currently developing innovative methods in response to this need. Examples were work that uses data from emerging General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) formats to model paratransit routes and networks, as well as work on participatory co-design approaches and tools for developing more user-friendly transport information. 

PROGRAM

Moderator: Winnie Mitullah, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Rapporteur: Mary Mwangi, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Welcome and introduction: Henrik Nolmark, VREF

PRESENTATIONS

“Co-design laboratories for public transport information in African cities”
Presenters: Christo Venter, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Savannah Harvett, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Discussant: Hannibal Bwire, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

“Modelling paratransit in low data environments in Africa”
Presenter: Obiora Nnene, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Discussant: Lourens de Beer, University of Pretoria

“Assessing stakeholder perspectives for efficient allocation of paratransit towards mitigating unequal access to opportunities in sub-Saharan African cities” 
Presenter: Gift Dumedah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Discussant: Mark Zuidgeest, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Plenary discussion

Obiora Nnene:

Gift Dumedah: