One such transport service, light rail, is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and speed than traditional street-running tram systems. Developing efficient light rail systems requires a network of services that 1) is well-integrated with bus services and other transportation means (including non-motorized vehicles) and 2) has convenient access for pedestrians. Furthermore, it should be a system that provides the fastest and most convenient and affordable journey possible between home, work, and other origins/destinations in a city.
PPIAF has been supporting several countries in Asia and Latin America that desire to analyze options for private sector investment in light rail.
In 2002 the government of the State of Pernambuco, in the northeast part of Brazil, requested PPIAF assistance to review the economic and financial feasibility of the surface light rail system of the Metropolitan Region of Recife. This activity also examined whether the market environment and regulatory framework were conducive to private investment in light rail infrastructure.
In 2008 PPIAF provided a $200,000 grant to develop a framework to assess options for private sector participation in the implementation and operation of lines MRT2 and MRT3 of the Rail-Based Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and to assist the city’s People’s Committee to develop short-term and longer-term implementation and management arrangements for MRT. This project is under preparation, and in October 2011 it secured a $1 million grant from the Clean Technology Fund, at the request of the Asian Development Bank, to prepare feasibility studies and complete the due diligence required for this low carbon transport project. The final report can be found here.
In 2010 PPIAF supported the preparation of the publication Private Sector Participation in Light Rail-Light Metro Transit Initiatives, developed to address the growing worldwide interest in the use of such schemes to provide urban transport solutions, and to assess the role of the private sector. The work was based on extensive industry consultation and includes case studies from recent major light rail-light metro schemes, all involving some form of public-private partnership arrangement. This publication led to a mandate from the City of Mumbai to the International Finance Corporation to advise it on developing a complex operation and maintenance contract as part of a $3 billion investment for the light rail project of Mumbai.
|
|||
Fast-growing cities in many developing countries are facing a significant increase in motorization and the resulting traffic congestion and pollution. To address this challenge, governments require the formulation and implementation of an appropriate urban transport strategy as well as institutional and regulatory arrangements for the delivery of efficient integrated multi-modal transport services.