Objectives of the
Rural Transport Knowledge Base

Until recently most developing country governments and aid donors believed that building comparatively high standard rural access/feeder roads was the most effective way of addressing rural transport problems. While it is true that better road access may well be critical to improving rural transport, there is now increasing recognition that a much wider perspective should be adopted. The most effective solution to the rural transport problem will involve a combination of policies and measures designed to address the wide range of constraints to access and mobility that are commonly experienced in rural areas of developing countries.

Rural transport covers a range of transport modes and their associated infrastructure at the village, district and regional level. Within the context of rural transport it is also appropriate to consider alternative "non-transport" solutions which include the location of important facilities and services. These solutions may be more cost effective and may have an important impact on rural transport demand.

The 'Rural Transport Knowledge Base' is a set of reference and training material of the latest thinking and practice in the field of rural transport. The material draws on experience and publications, as well as case study examples to facilitate the dissemination of best practice to policy makers, planners and practitioners in the developed and developing world. The Knowledge Base is structured in five modules, and encompasses all aspects of rural transport, including the policy, management and financing of rural transport infrastructure, transport provision and related non-transport interventions.

To navigate the Knowledge Base, please click on one of the five modules below for the contents of that module and pdf files (Acrobat), or click on the contents page containing pdf files for all five modules:

Contents Page

Introduction

1. Policies and Strategies
2. Planning, Design, Appraisal and Implementation
3. Finance and Management
4. Rural Transport Services and Intermediate Means of Transport (IMT)
5. Social and Environmental Issues

The project is being undertaken for the Rural Travel and Transport Program (RTTP), a component of the multi-donor Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) managed by the World Bank with financial support from the Department for International Development (DFID).

The Rural Travel and Transport Program (RTTP) under the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Programme (SSATP) supports the participatory development and implementation of national rural transport policies and strategies in Sub-Saharan African countries.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is the UK government department responsible for promoting international development and the reduction of poverty. The central focus of the DFID’s policy is commitment to an internationally-agreed target by the international donor agencies to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015. In support of this aim, DFID contribute to the SSATP (Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Program).

The Department for International Development commissions research to assist the development process, and therefore encourages the widest possible distribution of publications arising out of this research. Copying and local distribution of reports is permitted. Note, however, that the intellectual property rights associated with the documents contained in the Knowledge Base remain with DFID and its research contractors.

The contents of this CD-ROM may be printed, and printouts may be copied. The CD itself may be copied onto another CD or other electronic medium. Material produced from the CD-ROM may be passed on but not sold for profit. Extracts from the reports contained herein may be reproduced in a publication, provided the source is acknowledged.

RTTP/SSATP

The World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (202) 477-1234
Fax: +1 (202) 477-6391
www.worldbank.org

DFID

No 1 Palace Street
London
SW1E 5HE
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7023 0000
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7023 0072
www.dfid.gov.uk

TRL Limited

Old Wokingham Road
Crowthorne
Berkshire
RG45 6AU
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 773131
Fax: +44 (0) 1344 770356
www.transport-links.org