Institutional Governance and Challenges of Urban Public Transport System in Selected Major Cities of SNNPRS, Ethiopia

Degwale Gebeyehu Belay, Bahir Dar University
Akalewold Fedilu Mohammed, Hawassa University
Robera Regassa Kenei, Hawassa University

Abstract

This study was conducted in Hawassa City, Hossana and Sodo towns with the objective of assessing the institutional and governance practices, and the challenges of urban public transportation system. To accomplish this objective, the study employed a qualitative research approach. Respondents of this study include urban public transport operators, taxi cooperatives, public transport users and concerned government bodies which were purposively selected. The findings of this study revealed that there is no a policy framework that govern the urban public transport system. Local level administration also doesn’t have a mandate to make rules and regulations that govern urban public transport system based on their context. Moreover, limitation in the designing as well as implementation of the structural plan related to road infrastructure development was a major problem in the study areas. Weak stakeholder integration and absence of system that can determine map of responsibility among the stakeholder in the urban public transportation system were also other factors for the existing ineffective and inefficient urban public transport service delivery. The development of mass transport is very weak in all study areas. Besides, there is no alternative mode of urban public transport which made Reckshaw Taxis not to be a dominant mode in all the study areas.