Many African cities are undertaking Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects in a market dominated by informal bus operators or the paratransit sector. Among other things, these BRT lines are expected to serve as catalysts for gradually integrating the paratransit sector into a well-organized and decarbonized public transport system.

There is a well-developed international pool of resources to support the implementation of BRTs, including technical guidelines and the BRT project completion reports of various development partners. However, the processes for engaging with and integrating paratransit operators as part of the project solution are less well documented, and experience demonstrates such processes to be complex, arduous, and highly context specific.

This webinar will allow participants to gain a better understanding of: (i) the capacity needs of the paratransit industry in African cities; (ii) the experience of the Paratransit Consultative Forum in Kampala and (iii) the main lessons learned from the paratransit industry transition process conducted in South Africa, most notably during the first and second phases of the MyCiTi system implementation in Cape Town.

Participants will also hear from several urban transport stakeholders in Africa who will share their practical experiences on the ground in a panel discussion. Insights gained from these discussions will help shape the capacity-building program for paratransit operators being developed by SSATP.