[rts] Importance of affordable supplies and other factors

[Joaquín Caraballo]

>From JOaquín Caraballo

Just to say that I agree with Paul.

It is quite interestingto see people in Cuba produce motors to pull bykes and similar IMTs out of lawnmowers, fumigating machines, and so forth, without having a lot of money available

There are more axamples of IMT vehicles in the region. We have digital pictures, etc avaallable.

The thing is that while in some countries or regions they do
produce or use them, very little is used in others.


Joaquín

============================================================
From: "Paul Starkey" <P.H.Starkey at reading.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 11:52:27 +0100
To: <rtslist at gn.apc.org>
Subject: [rts] Importance of affordable supplies and other factors

Recent contributions (Joaquín Caraballo, Rajendra Aryal, Tony James) have
made reference to problems of transport in low density situations in
Guatemala, Nicaragua and Nepal. The importance of relief/topography was
mentioned (making it easier for Cuba, Nicaragua and the Terai of  Nepal
and more difficult for the hilly areas of Guatemala and Nepal -
and the hills of Nicaragua and Cuba too!).

The question of supply also arose in the cases of Cuba and Nicaragua.
The example of Cuban entrepreneurship is fascinating.
For those who may not know, in Cuba, tricycle taxis operate in most
provinces, but different regions have very different designs. In Havana,
there are 'traditional' cycle rickshaws, looking like a conventional bicycle
pulling a double passenger seat (different from the
'passengers or loads infront' tricycles used in Peru and Indochina). In
Pinar
del Rio, the handlebars have been replaced by steering wheels. In Las
Villas, the tricycle design is very different, with drivers peddling with
their legs extended forwards. In Holguín, on the other hand, passengers are
carried in a 'sidecar' attached to the cycle. These designs seem to have
evolved and become 'traditional' in quite a short time. This example fits in
well with the paradoxical and 'chaotic' distribution patterns discussed in
the 'Local transport solutions' background paper.

The rapid adoption and evolution in Cuba may have been facilitated by:
a) good supply of components (the major importation of bicycles)
b) good infrastructure
c) transport demand and shortage of economic alternatives and profitability
of the technology (service providers can earn more than civil servants).

The transport characteristics of 'remote' hilly areas of Asia (eg, Nepal,
Laos, NW Vietnam) and Central America (Guatemala) are quite similar to
'remote' hilly areas of Africa (low population density, agricultural
economies, few roads, few intermediate means of transport). However, in much
of Asia and Latin America, a journey of 200 km will bring people to a town
with supplies of vehicles, engines, bicycles and motorcycles costing less
than half the equivalent price in Africa. Moreover, in these
urban/peri-urban areas, there are established 'critical masses' of a range
of transport technologies.

I think these examples show the importance of
    supply
    profitability (related to supply cost and operation)
    infrastructure/environment
   critical mass.
And many other factors, of course, including entrepreneurship.


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