Lessons from urban transport

These are the proceedings from a seminar, directed toward issues of political economy, and institutional development on the subject of urban transport, defined within structural factors - closely linked to public policy, and municipal management; evaluation of urban transport - taking into account the quality of public transport policies, and programs to help define the supply side; and, traffic management - requiring both local participation, and hierarchy. Topics on institutional framework, included discussions on planning, and financing mechanisms for public transport, and on the relationships to the planning, and delivery of urban services. The private sector role and route associations was discussed, while decision-making and public participation processes focused on property, and curb rights in planning, and designing transport services. Also include were issues regarding regulation, contracting and enforcement for the market, and in the market competition, to finally argue on the initiation, and management of the process of change. On the political economy of urban transport, subjects included fares, subsidies, and cost recovery, as well as expansion of transport in relation to income, and income distribution to the users; access of the poor to urban transport; and, urban growth and its effects on transport infrastructure, addressing the rule of law, and its effects on traffic management and regulation.