Research Paper: Boateng, F. G., & Klopp, J. M. (2022). Beyond bans: A political economy of used vehicle dependency in Africa. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 15(1), 651-670.

 

What this paper is about

  • While consumers in low-income countries may not inherently prefer used over new vehicles at similar prices, they are often income-constrained.

 

What you can learn

  • The critical issues include chronic government failure to provide adequate and comprehensive public transport, to dismantle the persisting roads-driven low-density urban sprawl-inducing colonial planning systems and to encourage better land-use patterns have entrenched automobile consumption culture in the country. These factors, coupled with weak regulation of vehicle importation, low levels of income, limited number of locally produced vehicles as well as low cost of vehicle repairs, elevate the demand and supply of used vehicles in the country in ways that undermine public health, development, and climate goals.
  • More careful monitoring of air pollution from transport and inclusion of health costs on transport calculations is also important and makes public investment in new public transport vehicles even more attractive.
  • In urban areas where most Ghanaians live, it is critical to dismantle the persisting colonial planning practices, systems and societal organization generally that separate work and other activities from home and move towards encouraging mixed land-use that allows people to live, work and shop in the same area so they travel less.
  •  

 

Read more about other PUBLIC TRANSPORT ARTICLEs