This SSATP technical report calls for a paradigm shift in how Sub-Saharan African cities approach informal public transport (IPT), recognizing its central role in meeting urban mobility needs. Based on case studies from 14 African cities, the report examines the complexities of the sector, the challenges of reform, and the potential for improvement through collaboration rather than replacement.

In many Sub-Saharan African countries, the efficiency of the road maintenance system is not, or is no longer adequate to preserve the network, and provide users with a durable, appropriate level of service in relation to the investments made. Road projects are all too frequently condemned to inadequate or non-existent maintenance, which means that they are reduced to nothing long before the corresponding anticipated economic return has been generated.