Paratransit

Paratransit is a set of mobility services operated by a large number of small entrepreneurs and using a wide range of transport modes: buses, minibuses, taxis, private cars, three and two-wheelers, and boats. The paratransit sector thus brings together a range of transport services, more or less collective, offering particularly varied transport solutions, generally very flexible but sometimes also more conventional. The word “artisanal” is used in the French term because it refers to a sector characterised by individual entrepreneurship, most often by the absence of subsidies and public intervention, and by a commercial operation that is primarily profit-driven.

Guidelines and methodologies 

From the onset of a paratransit reform process, mobility practitioners require a good understanding of the sector. This includes an accurate definition of these services and their overall characteristics, as well as a comprehensive assessment of the local situation. MobiliseYourCity provides methodological guidance on how to conduct a diagnosis of the paratransit sector, as well as guidance on the possible contractual arrangements available to public authorities to regulate and define their relationship vis-a-vis operators.

Tools to operationalise

A myriad of actions are available to decision-makers in their endeavours to improve paratransit and integrate it in the urban mobility ecosystem. To facilitate the identification of the right approach and the inclusion of these services in the sustainable urban mobility planning process, MobiliseYourCity provides a comprehensive catalogue of individual actions to prepare, support, and implement sectoral reforms.

Training materials

This set of training materials intends to equip practitioners of sustainable urban mobility with the required content to replicate training sessions on topics relevant to integrating paratransit into sustainable urban mobility plans. The topics cover digital mapping and contracting options of paratransit services. 

Case studies

The case studies on paratransit highlight the problems that have been encountered in the process of reforming small-scale transport around the world and the best practices for solving them.