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Dear Colleagues<br>
<br>
I am impressed with Dieter's write up and would like to suggest the
following steps based on ITDG experiences in Sri Lanka & Kenya.<br>
<br>
1.<x-tab> </x-tab><u>Transport
infrastructure<br>
</u>ITDG Sri Lanka is going to work out a national level plan with the
LFRTD (Sri Lanka NFG) to get the labour-based rural road construction
& maintenance with participation of community & local authorities
(Pradeshiya Sabhas - PS) at provincial level. ITDG pilot projects show
that the participation of the communities is of a high degree. This is
not only just participation but the village road committees together with
the local authorities plan, implement and have authority over the road.
The labour rate here is half that of the prevailing rate in the area and
the other half is community contribution.<br>
<br>
The problem I see here is the wider replication of this approach. In the
national context, the construction and maintenance of rural roads have
been neglected due to very low financial resources at the PS level. The
proposed national rural road development strategy of the LFRTD includes
setting up of a training centre on labour based technologies and social
mobilisation. The world bank should be able to finance the PSs and
Community Based organisations in such rural road development programmes.
The contribution of NGOs is vital here in drafting bank's strategies
regarding this. These experiences should be incorporated into national
rural development plans of developing countries.<br>
<br>
2.<x-tab> </x-tab><u>RTS &
IMT<br>
<br>
Credit Schemes<br>
<br>
</u>ITDG Sri Lanka worked with three community based organisations in the
dissemination of cycle trailers. During the project a revolving rural
credit schemes were started to enable the poor to purchase Cycle
Trailers. The scheme was working well with over a 90% pay back rate. The
details of this scheme is available with ITDG SL. The constraint here was
the NGOs not having sufficient funds to expand the credit scheme.<br>
<br>
As Priyanthi mentions, the Community Bus project of the LFRTD is a good
example of community managed RTS. The mid-term evaluation report of this
project is in the draft form now and will be made available soon. It has
many pluses and minuses. However, the "Community company"
managed to operate this project over the last three years. Their
main constraint is the high bank interest rate on the loan. The Ministry
of Transport in Sri Lanka pay a subsidy on uneconomical bus routes for
the private bus operators. This subsidy can be paid by a once and for all
payment, adding all subsidiary payments for 3 or 4 years together and
that can be used a the capital to purchase a bus by communities. At the
same time bank interest rates should also come down for community
operated bus services. A similar project is undertaken by ITDG in a
remote village in the North Western Province, with a community managed
IMT service. The community here is very poor where as the former is
<font face="Arial, Helvetica">predominantly</font> middle income
one.<br>
<br>
It is interesting to hear about tricycles made in Tanzania. It is strange
that information had not gone to neighboring Kenya. There is a potential
market among bicycle taxi operators in Kenya to use tricycles. ITDG East
Africa is planning to undertake a pilot project to promote tricycles in
West Kenya. Dieter, I am interested to know more details on the
Tanzanian tricycles.<br>
<br>
Regards.<br>
<br>
Ranjith<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>Ranjith de Silva</div>
<div>Senior Specialist - Transport</div>
<div>International Transport Programme</div>
<div>Intermediate Technology Development Group</div>
<div>South Asia Regional Office</div>
<div>No.5 Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha</div>
<div>Kirulapone</div>
<div>Colombo 5</div>
<div>Sri Lanka</div>
<br>
<div>Telephone: (++ 94 1) 852149, 829412 - 5, (++ 94 74) 510238</div>
<div>Fax:<x-tab> </x-tab>(++ 94 1) 856188</div>
<div>Email:<x-tab> </x-tab>ranjith@itdg.lanka.net</div>
<div>Alternatives:</div>
<div>ranjith_itdg@hotmail.com</div>
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