Urban Poverty and Transport in the Developing World

ITE JOURNAL / JUNE 2005 INTRODUCTION The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Higher Committee for Greater Cairo Transport Planning conducted the Transportation Master Plan and Feasibility Study of Urban Transport Projects in Greater Cairo Region in the Arab Republic of Egypt (Cairo Regional Area Transportation Study [CREATS]). Pacific Consultants International, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, was the designated lead consultant for the study. CREATS has at its core the formulation of a multimodal and integrated master plan that addresses the transport needs of greater Cairo, Egypt, both in the near term and over the next 20 years.1 CREATS is comprehensive in nature. Eleven transport surveys were undertaken, including a home interview survey administered to 57,000 households representing approximately 250,000 persons. This feature draws upon these resources with a particular focus on the transport patterns of the urban poor. A background synopsis dealing with urban poverty and transport in the developing world is presented. Then, current public transport operations in Cairo are reviewed and specific details regarding travel patterns of the urban poor are documented. This leads to a discussion of main issues, the role of CREATS and the measures contained within the Cairo transport master plan that are seen as particularly relevant to the transport needs of the urban poor.