|
|
|
The
need for a ‘critical mass’ of users
|
| There is
need to develop a 'critical mass' of users to make ownership socially
acceptable and to justify the establishment of service providers. |
| Before a particular transport technology
is common, it can be difficult for someone to buy, use and maintain
one. People may be shy and there may be insufficient sales outlets
and repair services for easy adoption. It can be a vicious circle,
as there will be insufficient users to sustain sales and support services.
|
|
One cart — one puncture
Ten carts — one puncture repair service!
To introduce a new transport
technology, projects in Sierra Leone and Guinea placed one new ox
cart in each of several villages. Many carts stopped being used
after their first puncture. The projects should have concentrated
the carts in a few villages and encouraged the establishment of
puncture repair services.
|
|
|
|
|
Transport
repairs in Madagascar: importance of a critical mass
In the village of Anjanadoria, Madagascar,
most of the 850 families own an ox cart but few use bicycles. Two
carpenters make and repair ox carts in the village, but no one repairs
bicycles as there are few and little demand. One reason why few people
own bicycles is the problem of repairs. Bicycles are taken
by cart 15 km to the local market town, where artisans have established
small bicycle repair workshops. Ox carts already have a 'critical
mass' in that village, but bicycles have yet to achieve this. People
anticipate that in a few years there will be more bicycles and a bicycle
repairer in the village. |
|
Cycles and mobylettes
in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, there
is now a ‘critical mass’ of users of cycles and mobylettes
in Ouagadougou and the surrounding rural areas. There are numerous
users (men and women) resulting in few social inhibitions and plenty
of support services for easy repairs.
|
|
|
