Introduction

Our goal for this book is to present the wider context of BRT and show its potential role to restructure transportation and urban space to improve sustainability. These chapters have highlighted the opportunities and challenges of fulfilling this potential. Our wider vision is created by the interconnections between multiple research projects, disciplines, and methodologies. It is also formed by the collaboration of academics and practitioners working to solve real-world problems. From that experience we offer this assessment of the role of BRT and propose steps for moving forward.

Institutional relationships

Before a bus ever runs along a corridor, a BRT system requires appropriate institutional structures. This includes a governance framework to regulate bus operators, the alignment of urban policies (Chapter Five), and the situating of the public and local community in the process (Chapter Six). Since BRT is often used as a tool to formalise informal bus services in developing cities, it can provide a mechanism to strengthen institutions and the regulatory capacity of authorities (Chapter Four). This process can provide a catalyst to discuss policy issues such as fares, operating subsidies (Chapter Eight) and the need for a metropolitan authority. However, one of the greatest challenges in addressing urban transport problems and BRT implementation comes from the weakness and fragmentation of existing institutions.

Public transport policy should be aligned with urban, land use and wider transportation policy to ensure the proper incentives and cohesive decision making. Failure to align land use and transport policy with the broader goals of liveable cities constrains the planning process and may increase transport costs and exacerbate urban inequities. This is a challenge for developed and developing cities alike. But it is particularly difficult in developing cities where organisations lack institutional capacity and a tradition of working together. This difficulty is highlighted in a project as challenging as the integration of a citywide transport system (Chapter Three). The issue of who operates the system further strains the public sector capacity. Private operators add another set of actors, which requires careful contract design to align public and private interests (Chapter Seven).