Examining the spatial disparities of urban public transport fares in Kumasi, Ghana – Are fares consistent by route characteristics?

Abstract

Transport fares are a critical revenue stream for any sustainable public transportation system. The literature on public transport fares in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is very limited and it is unknown the fare structures used, how they are determined, and the factors considered. Accordingly, this study investigates the spatial disparities of public transport fares in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. Using a spatial analytic approach, we examined the extent to which fares are spatially dissimilar across routes based on travel distance, travel time, mode, economic status, and population. Primary data was collected using the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)-like format, allowing the estimation of key performance indicators such as fare per kilometer travelled, fare per minute travelled, and average fare paid per passenger. Secondary data on economic status and population density were used. Based on 48 routes for minibus and taxis, we found that one kilometer of travel distance attracts fares between 1 Ghana Cedis (GHS) (0.08USD) and 8GHS (0.71USD), whereas one minute of travel time attracts fares between 1GHS and 6GHS. For each kilometer travelled, Taxi (i.e. saloon car) services charge 3.5 times for every GHS fare for a minibus (i.e. Trotro), whereas for each minute travelled, Taxi services charge 2.2 times for every GHS fare for Trotro. Relationships with economic status show that economically disadvantaged populations pay more fares, travel longer distances, and spend more time travelling. Essentially, economically disadvantaged populations are burdened with higher travel costs. Also, travel cost was found to be more influenced by distance than the fares charged in Kumasi. Highly populated communities were found to pay relatively higher fares, and travel longer durations and over longer distances, but are associated with lower fare rates. The findings show that fares for paratransit services are inconsistent in Kumasi and are spatially differentiated by route, distance travelled, travel time, service type, economic status, and population density. There is limited evidence that fares are deliberately inconsistent, however, fare disparities are the direct outcome of the existing systemic structural arrangement with paratransit, mostly built on underlying political economy, social injustice, labor exploitation, and lack of investment. It is recommended that transport authorities define a clear fare structure, apply it consistently, and communicate the rationale and the driving factors behind fare disparities to ensure transparency in pricing public transport services.