The effects of institutional framework on urban public transport service provision in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

Transport is a universal sector and a key enabler in an urban context. It facilitates mobility and accessibility to different needs with affordability being a vital element for transportation to be termed sustainable. In Tanzania, the conventional modes of transport include roads, rails, air, water, and pipeline. In the urban context, the dominant mode is road transport which has been facing many challenges over many years. The prevailing challenges of urban public transport, specifically inadequate provision of services, is mainly contributed by the nature and institutional set up of the sector. Institutional factors claimed of being the reason for the persistence of challenges are mostly related to organization structure and regulatory frameworks. As highlighted by different researchers, lack of coordination and cooperation among stakeholders; intersections, contradiction and overlapping of institutional responsibilities; and inadequate enforcement of regulations are key factors. Others include lack of accountability and transparency, unclearly defined objectives, and insufficient financial resources. Measures to intervene have been implemented in steps on the supply side by increasing road capacity and main junction together with the adaption of BRT systems. However, due to rapid changes in cities, the measures are still inadequate because of delays in planning and decision making resulting in slow paces in intervention implementation. Passengers transport issues in Dar es Salaam involves different stakeholder institutions despite the ineffectiveness of the urban public services provided by the sector. It is, therefore, necessary to study the current Institutional framework for the urban public transport and how it affects the provision of services. This study aimed at explaining the current institutional framework for urban public transport and how it affects service provision. The research question was "How does the Institutional Framework affect the provision of urban public transport services in Dar es Salaam?" The sub-questions were as follows: (1) what is the present Institutional framework structure for urban public transport service provision? (2) How does the organization framework affect urban public transport service provision? (3) How does the regulatory framework affect urban public transport service provision? And (4) which additional factors contribute to the existing challenges in urban public transport service provision? This study was explanatory and adopted a case study strategy. A qualitative method through semi-structured interviews was used for primary data collection. For triangulation purpose, secondary data and field observations were used. Based on the general findings, the Institutional framework was revealed to strongly affect urban public transport service provision both through the Organization structure framework and the legislative (regulatory) framework. The organization structure framework was revealed to affect Mass transit system and infrastructure in terms of availability and reliability while the regulatory framework strongly affects the financing and pricing as well as the operations in terms of fare and safety and security assurance. Additional factors revealed to contribute to existing challenges include political interference and inadequate human and financial resources. The study findings have discovered some suggestions based on the organization structure design, policy, regulation human and financial resources as well as political interference. It recommends for consideration of institutional framework reform focusing on organization structure set up and strengthening the regulatory framework by establishment of strategic policy for urban public The effects of Institutional Framework on Urban Public Transport Service Provision in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania iv transport. With an autonomous body having clear defined performance goals accountable for control of management and operations in provision of services other factors contributing to existing challenges will be overcome thus improving the provision of services. The study recommends for further studies on other Institutional Framework components; the Institutions (government tiers) and administrative (structure) frameworks as well as exogenous factors for more insight on how and to what extent they affect provision of services.