Abstract
The UN General Assembly has designated the 1978–1988 period as a Decade of Transport in Africa to draw attention to the immense efforts that are—in an internationally coordinated fashion—still needed in this continent. What contribution to Africa’s social and economic development may be expected from major rail and road proejcts?
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References
The present state of the discussion is clearly indicated by the essays in B. S. Hoyle (ed.): Transport and Development, London 1973. Cf. also R. Hofmeier: Transport and Economic Development in Tanzania, Munich 1973.
Cf. H. L. Gauthier: Geography, Transportation and Regional Development, in: Economic Geography, No. 46 (1970).
A practical survey of the criteria customarily applied to project studies by the World Bank is given by A. H. Adler: Economic Appraisal of Transport Projects: A manual with case studies, Bloomington-London 1971.
A—by now classical-study of this kind is E. Taaffe. R. Morrill, P. Gould: Transport expansion in underdeveloped countries, a comparative analysis, in: The Geographical Review, No. 53 (1963), p. 503–529. Similarly designed case studies are to be found in R. Hofmeier, op. cit.; B. S Hoyle: Transport and Economic Growth in Developing Countrios: The Case of East Africa in: B. S. Hoyle (ed.), op. cit. p. 50–62; W. R. Stanley: Transport Exoanslon in Liberia, in: The Geographical Review, No. 60 (1970).
This demand has been advocated in particular by F. Volgt: The Importance of the Transport System for Economic Development Processes, E/CN. 14/CAP/39, UN-ECA, Acdis Abeba 1967. Cf. also Hoyle’s introduction to the velume of essays edited by him and the final chapter by H. Hofmeler., op. cit. Die Transatrikastraßen—Stand der Planung und Realisierung (The trans-African roads—State of planning and realization), in: Afrika Spectrum, No. 1 (1979), p. 31–51.
Concerning the effects of more recent railway lines cf. A. M. O’Connor: Recent Railway Construction in Tropical Africa, in: Transport in Africa, Proceedings of a Seminar held in the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, 1969 (reprinted in B. S. Hoyle (ed.), op. cit., Transport and Development, London 1973. Cf. also R. Hofmeier: Transport and Economic Development in Tanzania, Munich 1973. p. 139–150
The special problems of landlocked countries in Africa are discussed in context in the volume of essays by Z. Cervenka (ed.): Landlacked countries in Africa, Uppsala 1973.
On the background and origin of the Tanzam railway cf., especially, M. Bailey: Freedom Railway, London 1976: R. Hall; H. Peymann: The Great Uhuru Hailway, London 1976.
Particular emphasis is put on the strategic importance of arterial links by G. Arnold, R. Weiss: Strategic Highways of Africa, London 1977, who however negiect the economic aspects.
Cf. H. Hofmeler: Die Transatrikastraßen—Stand der Planung und Realisierung (The trans-African roads—State of planning and realization), in: Afrika Spectrum, No. 1 (1979), p. 31–51.
An introductory survey of the problems is provided by V. Matthies Collective Self-Reliance Conceot and Reallty, in: INTERECONOMICS No. 2 (1979), p. 75–79.
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Hofmeier, R. The political economy of transport projects. Intereconomics 15, 94–99 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02928586
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02928586