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EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT REGULATORY POLICY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONDUCT: A CASE OF MATATU TRANSPORT SECTOR IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Regulatory policy aim at ensuring that regulations uphold social, economic growth and development of a nation in order to achieve broader societal objectives for instance environmental sustainability, social welfare and strengthening of the rule of law (OECD, 2021). Regulatory policies therefore address permanent needs to guarantee that regulations and regulatory frameworks are warranted, are of acceptable quality and aim to achieve set and expected policy objectives. Regulatory policy also aid policy makers in reaching informed decisions on what to regulate, whom to be regulated, and how to regulate. As an integral part of effective public governance, regulatory policy also helps to smoothen linkages among state, citizens, businesses and the civil society (SeMarzo, Michaele, & Matk, 2015). Transport industry is a very vital element in any nation. The industry contributes significantly to economic growth and development of nations as most major investments are routed through this industry. As such, the industry calls for well thought public policies to align the activities and bring order in this crucial sector. The importance of public transportation especially for cities, aims at ensuring attainment of a sustainable mode of transportation for the citizenry (Mordi & Razzaque, 2019). However, regulation of the matatu sector is also a contested field of competing socio-economic interests in public transport. In countries that are in developing phase particularly those in Asia, Africa and Latin America where rail transit is inadequate to meet transportation needs, the use of road transportation is the common mode (Kenworthy, 2007). In Brazil for instance, buses are a popular mode of transportation which serves the needs of commuters majorly from poor backgrounds in Northeast Brazil to areas such as the Amazonia (Piva da Silva, 2017). In a way, public transit has made it possible for those who do not own vehicles to move from their residence to their places of work. This 1is mainly the case in developing countries that have not capitalized on sustainable modes of transportations such as the rapid bus transit system. Intervention through public policy formulation and proper implementation is necessary to eliminate urban transport systems inadequacy that hider them from functioning effectively to serve the citizenry. This inadequacy especially within cities and big towns adversely affect daily life thus making it more unpredictable and complicated and translates to social disorder in the public transport. In such scenarios, the true economic potential of a country and its people becomes unrealizable. A reliable transport system is particularly crucial in developing countries, where large proportions of the people are poor. To ease access to cities and big towns where greater economic opportunities exist is essential both for individual mobility convenience and for economic growth (Oira & Makori, 2015). Analysis from Alup (2017) and Chitere (2006) past experience in regard to public transport indicate that if the system is promoted correctly and rationally regulated, it can play more imperative roles in addressing mobility needs through reduction of the need for unprofitable conventional public transport services. Adequate support of this industry in major policy issues can increase safe travelling public options, income and employment generating activities. In most developed economies, government controls structural arrangements and infrastructure in the public transport. Whereas in some cities such as those in China and Vietnam that are prone to heavy traffic of vehicles, concerted efforts have been directed towards the full adoption of the bus rapid transport system, in others, such as those in Cambodia where bus services are yet to operate optimally, not much has been done to meet the needs of urban commuters (Choocharukul & Ung, 2011). In the United States of America, public transportation is monopolized by the government which has greatly enhanced the efficiency in the sector. However, for Japan, the majority of the transport services both 2rail and road are offered by private firms. The reason for this is that the provision of transport services in Japan has been a daunting task especially for the government policy makers and regulators. In the Sub-Saharan African, success in transport has been negligible (Rizzo, 2017). This is demonstrated in African cities that are yet to institute a comprehensive transport policy to address the concerns of the citizenry. Particularly in South Africa, there is a chaotic informal transportation system in the form of minibuses which operate without route management. The minibus industry constitutes 60% of the commuters’ public transport in South Africa and is characterized by regular strikes from service providers which makes it unsafe and unreliable. Other than that, the minibuses are known for their disregard for traffic laws as most of them carry excess passengers (Ayodele, 2009). In the context of Nigeria, road transport is the most popular which makes up 90% of the movement of both passengers and freight (Adebambo & Adebayo, 2009). The road network is managed by the local government

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Author: aghan linnabel
Contributed by: reagan lax
Institution: university of nairobi
Level: university
Sublevel: post-graduate
Type: dissertations