The work is aimed at promoting better strategic transportation planning and providing recommendations on investment priorities and measures needed.
The Ugandan economy and population is growing, and the government has already invested in new infrastructure, mainly roads, to accelerate development. However, a lot more is needed to enable continuous and sustainable progress of all transport modes, said Cowi.
"The plan will provide guidance to where and how the country's transport infrastructure and services covering roads, railways, inland waterways and air transport should develop from 2021 – 2040,” said Cowi project director Karsten Sten Pedersen. The purpose is to facilitate further economic growth and improve living conditions of citizens.
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Among the objectives in the new master plan is to analyse the need for public transport and promote the best way forward to increase mobility and a more sustainable transport sector. This is particularly relevant to the Greater Kampala area, which is characterised by congestion and inefficient transit service provision, poor regulation and dominance of low-capacity systems such as minibus taxis and motorcycles.
There will be a strong focus on follow-up mechanisms in the plan in order to increase the likelihood of a successful implementation rate. "Obviously, funding is an important aspect of transport investments, but in developing countries the biggest challenge is often inadequate institutional capacity,” said Pedersen. “Planning without clear processes, effective systems and implementation capacity will inevitably lead to underachievement. To support our client and the Ugandan society as much as possible, we will seek to integrate relevant measures in the plan, which can help mitigate those risks.”
The project is funded by EU. Cowi is provides overall project management on behalf of the Cowi-WYG-Gauff Joint Venture.
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