Comparing paratransit in seven major African cities: An accessibility and network analysis

Accessibility to transit, together with other important system characteristics such as network coverage and frequency, is a crucial driver of modal choice for urban commuting. In turn, commuting is a major driver of energy consumption and of socio-environmental externalities in cities. So far, few quantitative and comparative assessments of paratransit in cities of Africa have been carried out due to data scarcity and the prevalence of informal services. Here we leverage the recent release of General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data to produce comparative metrics of accessibility, network, and service quality of paratransit in seven major cities in sub-Saharan Africa (Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Freetown, Harare, Kampala, Nairobi). Our results allow for a first-order assessment and comparison of different crucial paratransit characteristics in these cities, shedding light on transport inequality and urban segregation dynamics. The analysis and metrics produced can support transport systems planners in major cities of low-income countries. Further research should focus on approaches for overcoming the residual data limitations and expand the quantitative understanding of paratransit.