Coping with demand for urban passenger transport in Zimbabwe: Challenges and options

This paper starts by providing a general conceptual framework on urbanization and how it affects public transport provision. It then focuses on the urban transport problems in Zimbabwe by giving an overview of developments in the sector since independence. It continues to examine the challenges and options to cope with public transport demand in urban areas. The challenges and options include inter alia, the need to create an enabling environment, reduction in costs and influencing modal choice in favour of cheaper modes. On the demand side, the public have come up with coping strategies which include walking inter alia. The issues discussed are principally based on unstructured interviews with relevant stakeholders in Government, public transport operators, public transport users and civic society.