Title: Are rural road investments alone sufficient to generate transport flows? Lessons from a randomized experiment in rural Malawi and policy implications
Abstract: No AccessPolicy Research Working Papers22 Jun 2013Are rural road investments alone sufficient to generate transport flows? Lessons from a randomized experiment in rural Malawi and policy implicationsAuthors/Editors: Gaël Raballand, Rebecca Thornton, Dean Yang, Jessica Goldberg, Niall Keleher, Annika MüllerGaël Raballand, Rebecca Thornton, Dean Yang, Jessica Goldberg, Niall Keleher, Annika Müllerhttps://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-5535SectionsAboutPDF (0.6 MB) ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract:This paper draws lessons from an original randomized experiment in Malawi. In order to understand why roads in relatively good condition in rural areas may not be used by buses, a minibus service was subsidized over a six-month period over a distance of 20 kilometers to serve five villages. Using randomly allocated prices for use of the bus, this experiment demonstrates that at very low prices, bus usage is high. Bus usage decreases rapidly with increased prices. However, based on the results on take-up and minibus provider surveys, the experiment demonstrates that at any price, low (with high usage) or high (with low usage), a bus service provider never breaks even on this road. This can contribute to explain why walking or cycling is so widespread on most rural roads in Sub-Saharan Africa. In terms of policy implications, this experiment explains that motorized services need to be subsidized; otherwise a road in good condition will most probably not lead to provision of service at an affordable price for the local population. Previous bookNext book FiguresReferencesRecommendedDetailsCited ByStudies of the effectiveness of transport sector interventions in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An evidence and gap mapCampbell Systematic Reviews, Vol.17, No.427 November 2021The Impact of Bicycles on Household Poverty, per Consumption, Enterprises and Education in MalawiSSRN Electronic Journal, Vol.53Transport Modes and Remote AreasEconomic Benefits of Rural Feeder Roads: Evidence from EthiopiaThe Journal of Development Studies, Vol.52, No.92 May 2016Are There Myths on Road Impact and Transport in Sub-Saharan Africa?Development Policy Review, Vol.33, No.514 July 2015Qualitative Methods for Investigating Transport and Mobility Issues among Commonly Socially Excluded Populations: A Case Study of Co-investigation with Older People in Rural TanzaniaTransportation Research Procedia, Vol.11Globalization, Infrastructure, and Inclusive GrowthSSRN Electronic JournalNetwork Effects and Infrastructure Productivity in Developing Countries *Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Vol.75, No.626 September 2012Road connectivity, population, and crop production in Sub-Saharan AfricaAgricultural Economics, Vol.43, No.16 December 2011 View Published: January 2011 Copyright & Permissions Related RegionsAfricaRelated CountriesMalawiRelated TopicsRural Development KeywordsROADSTRANSPORT SERVICESRANDOMIZEDMALAWIRURALTRANSPORT POLICY. PDF DownloadLoading ...