Sub-Saharan Africa has recently undergone, or still do in many countries, a period of transport infrastructure expansion. Current policies are centred on the development of international links, which require large capital-intensive projects and are sometimes economically dubious. This paper reviews the past policies and transport functions since colonial times by placing them in their economic and political context. We find that present strategies have similarities to the ones prevailing in previous periods, where expansion phases dominated by transport-led economic growth theories were followed by a stagnation of Africa’s infrastructure development. In view of the challenges in translating findings from empirical research into right policies, we identify the potential of more balanced and sustainable strategic investments, notably by reinforcing the existing secondary transport networks converging into urban centres.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Patchwork in an interconnected world: the challenges of transport networks in Sub-Saharan Africa


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Transport Reviews ; 38 , 6 ; 710-736


    Publication date :

    2018-11-02


    Size :

    27 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





    Transport Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa Challenges, tools, perspectives

    Nnene, Obiora A. / Mughogho, Bishop / Imuentinyan, Aivinenyo et al. | Elsevier | 2025

    Free access

    Patchwork

    Kohlhaußen, Friederike ;Berg, Reinhard | TIBKAT | 1993



    The Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP): Urban transport component

    Bultynck, P. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998


    A patchwork of uncertainty

    Walker, Jonathan | Online Contents | 2013