Paratransit as a Public Transport System

It has been described above that public transport consists of various different modes, and the most commonly referred ones are commuter rail systems, heavy rail or metro

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systems, light rail and tram systems, buses, trolleybuses and ferries. However, in many cities in the world, there are “other” modes in addition to these main categories, and these should not be overlooked as in many cases they carry significant proportion of public transport passengers. Transportation experts categorize these “other” modes under the title of paratransit (which means through transit). In the literature, there are different words that have the same meaning with the paratransit. Informal transit, demand responsive transit, low cost transport, third-world transport, light vehicle transport, intermediate public transport, unconventional forms of public transport, the unincorporated sector of public transport etc. (Cervero, 2000; Wright, 1986; Adam Smith Institute, 1980; Vuchic, 2007; Iles, 2005 cited in Toker-Özkurt, 2014).

Cervero (2000, 3), defines specifically the developing country examples which are different from the private and public transport and explains them with the following statement:

…these privately operated, small-scale services are varyingly referred to as

“paratransit”, “low-cost transport”, “intermediate technologies”, and

“third- world transport”. The term adopted in this study is “informal transport”, for this term best reflects the context in which this sector operates –informally and illicitly, somewhat in the background, and outside the officially sanctioned public transport sector.

Cervero indicates that informal transport term mostly refers to the informally emerged, mostly unregulated, developing country transportation types. From a different perspective, according to Wright (1986, 9);

Paratransit, the term applied to small passenger transport vehicles operating informally on a fare-paying basis, often is a valuable supplement and in some places an alternative – to regular bus transit services. Paratransit systems are characterized by the variety of services they offer. These may include: (a) personalized door-to-door service; (b) shared service with routes determined by individual passengers; (c) regular service along fairly well-defined routes (similar to bus transit).

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In addition to the above explanations, Vuchic (2007, 501) also offers a comprehensive definition, which is as follows:

The broadest but rather imprecise definition is that paratransit represents all types of urban passenger travel “between” the privately owned and operated automobile on the one hand, and conventional transit with fixed routes and schedules on the other. By that definition paratransit covers taxis, jitneys, dial-a-ride, and subscription commuting services but also car rentals and car pools.

The differentiation of the modes varies by countries. Nevertheless, it should be noted that paratransit in general, is not a transportation mode which only emerges in the relatively less developed countries. There are variations of paratransit modes in the developed countries too.

An important point about the paratransit is its relations with the public transport modes, which may be operating on the same or parallel routes in many cases, hence creating a competition between systems rather than offering services that complement each other. Especially in the developing world, private entrepreneurs are the operators of paratransit systems and, as explained in detail in the upcoming chapters, that characteristic creates significant challenges for public transport services. Cervero (1998, 387-388) points out the real problem about this disintegration with the following statement for the case of Mexico City:

Where the intermediate carriers falter, especially when compared to privately operated paratransit feeders, is with respect to service and fare coordination.

There are no obvious efforts to synchronize timetables, though, since Metro services tend to be so frequent, this is not a serious concern. However, the lack of fare integration is. Though tariffs are relatively cheap, multiple fare payments can be quite burdensome to Mexico City's millions of daily transit-dependent customers.

To understand and to analyze the paratransit modes, a detailed analysis about the existence, development and current characteristics, which create this disintegration problem with the current network, is necessary. Especially in developing countries like Turkey, paratransit covers a significant share of the passenger transport. That is

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why developing countries’ officials need to address paratransit to create a totally integrated public transport network in their metropolitan cities. The incorporation (and thereby recognition) of the roles of the informal and traditional sectors of transport is necessary -in a manner whereby both contribute positively to an integrated and financially more viable urban transport system (Dimitriou, 1990, 26-28).

The limited adaptability of the conventional public transport modes, particularly that of regular bus services, results in the unsatisfaction of the users in the urban transportation network. Especially in the developing world cities, the lack of comprehensive transportation policy making results in inadequate service frequency, poor accessibility and more importantly expensive conventional transport options.

On the other hand, in the existing situation private and public transit options create an equally challenging operational environment, damaging each other’s performance.

For a successful analysis, comparison studies are necessary between the conventional and non-conventional public transport options on the one hand and between the public transport and private transport on the other hand. Uncontrolled urban form and related to that car-dependent cities in developing countries especially in the last 30 years are two big challenges about sustainable urban development (Cervero, 2013).

Different public transport services operating parallel to each other diminishes the efficiency of the total transport network and creates urban traffic especially in the peak hours that results in a derived demand for the private cars. Paratransit operators, which emerge because of the shortcomings in public transport network, after securing their position, mostly claim main public transport corridors of high-demand and damaging the operations of the conventional public transport modes. That is why the transit system is never fully integrated without addressing the paratransit services and finding mechanisms to integrate them into the public transport network and services. Dimitriou (1990, 113) underlines the importance of that coordination stating that:

The concept of co-ordinating complementary modes is most applicable to the Third World in respect of the formal and informal systems as advocated by Soegijoko (1986) on the basis of research findings in Indonesia. Informal systems, especially when using very small vehicles, are best suited to serving

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those areas which larger vehicles cannot reach, providing a facility for short-distance trips, and for those in which some special facility is required (for example, luggage space).

With this awareness, it is obvious that paratransit vehicles should be coordinated with the conventional buses and metro services for the efficiency of the system.

Furthermore, public transport from a sustainable urban development framework is the essential part of transportation network and including paratransit vehicles into the existing network would diversify the public transport options –especially in the developing countries- substantially. It is important to keep in mind that the integration process is quite important to create a successful operation. With the help of land use analyses, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications and case specific negotiations, decision makers have to introduce integration projects.

Paratransit systems as they exist in developing and in developed world should be analysed and with the help of up-to-date integration methods of the 21^st Century technological improvements. In transit system integration, three different stakeholders exist: users, i.e. passenger, operators and decision makers. The advantages and challenges of paratransit should be considered from these three stakeholders’ point of view. The strict analysis methods of transport planning and engineering are unable to elaborate the true analysis of the paratransit modes on their own. That is why historical and sociological assessment should support the technical analyses about paratransit systems in developing countries. That means an investigation of the inefficiencies of the existing conventional public transport network and the emergence and existence of paratransit in different geographies in the world. Only after that analysis, it would be possible to understand whether paratransit modes are the expired residuals of the existing network or whether they are still meeting the demand of the public especially in specific locations.

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