Driving Change: The Vital Role of Paratransit in Sustainable Urban Mobility

Description:    

Paratransit plays a pivotal role in many cities across the Global South, often serving as the primary public transport option. By leveraging the right actions, decision-makers and practitioners can implement paratransit reforms agreeable to all stakeholders and build a sustainable and inclusive mobility system. 

This three-part webinar series focuses on the critical need to reform paratransit as part of the just transition towards more sustainable mobility systems. We will provide both theoretical and practical insights, exploring the opportunities and challenges of paratransit reform and the tools developed by MobiliseYourCity to guide this process. This series coincides with the updated MobiliseYourCity Paratransit Toolkit launch, a comprehensive resource offering strategies for integrating paratransit into urban mobility planning. 

The first session of this webinar series will focus on understanding paratransit and its theoretical foundations. The session will explore the critical importance of paratransit in urban mobility systems and discuss how it can be integrated effectively to achieve more sustainable and equitable urban transport within the context of a just transition. Participants will gain insights into the key challenges and opportunities associated with improving paratransit services, including enhancing service efficiency and quality, improving working conditions for operators, and reducing environmental and safety impacts. The session will also highlight the role of paratransit in climate change action and job provision, contributing to a just transition in urban mobility. 

Our expert speakers will share valuable insights from their experiences in the Global South, offering perspectives on the reforms needed to create a more equitable and sustainable paratransit sector. Additionally, they will discuss the role of paratransit in decarbonising transport and its potential to generate employment opportunities.  

Register here to join the session 

Learning Objectives  

1. Identify different types of paratransit reforms and their specific objectives, especially in Africa.

2. Learn about the importance of paratransit for climate action and job creation.

3. Understand how formalisation and professionalization processes are needed to enable electrification and enhancement of labour conditions. 

Speakers 

• Sasank Vemuri | MobiliseYourCity Coordinator | MobiliseYourCity Secretariat (GIZ)
   
• Anne Chaussavoine | Transport Project Team Leader, Mobility and Transport Division, Sustainable Development Department | Agence Française de Développement 
   

• Simon Saddier | Urban Mobility Pillar Lead | Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP)

• Solène Baffi  | Sustainable Mobility Project Manager | CODATU

Agenda