The use of buses or coaches to transport huge numbers of people from essentially dormitory communities to centres of mass employment is a vital link in the transport infrastructure of a developing country. Due to the non-ownership of alternative methods of transport such as the car, the only mass transit method is the motorbike, taxis or bicycles.

These are not suitable for covering medium to large distances in the temperatures likely to be experienced and with the lack of a railway network system leaves buses as the only real alternative.

This is affected because of the suitability of the road that these buses travel over and many times their use is limited because of the lack of road infrastructure.

Massive investment is required in infrastructure project in West Africa because they have to be built before people will actually use the service if its affordable, goes to where they need to get to and is sustainable.

The buses could be used to carry cargo and provide a point to point delivery service for products allowing a postal service to develop. This will create the backbone for a new courier postal service that needs to be or could be started in the region to help stimulate and drive economic growth.

From a vibrant bus infrastructure will come the impetus to develop the long distance service which due to the vast distances involved in the region will be best serviced by a rail network.

This network needs to be constructed in the next five to ten years to give the region a chance to stimulate economic development and drive towards the Millennium Development Goals and beyond.

The rail network should combine both passenger and cargo services and extend the opportunities of regional trade routes to begin to have a major impact on the economy

Tags | transport