TITLE:
How Would the Trackless Tram System and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Apply to Bulawayo?
AUTHORS:
Vinnet Ndlovu, Peter Newman
KEYWORDS:
Trackless Tram System, Light Rail-Light Metro Transit, Public-Private Partnership, Three Multifaceted PPP Model, Bankability Assessment, Capability Evaluation
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.9 No.1,
February
2,
2021
ABSTRACT: The City of Bulawayo urgently needs to rebuild its dilapidated
infrastructure and stimulate its economic activities. A Public-Private
Partnership funding mechanism could enable the implementation of Trackless
Trams on its corridors bringing mobility, a new solar power system and other
multiple economic and social benefits, especially demonstrating the intention
of Bulawayo to leapfrog into a 21st century future. This study designs a PPP
model referred to as a Three Multifaceted PPP Model (TMPM) that will enable the
implementation of the Trackless Tram project in Bulawayo. The TMPM model is
composed of three layers of players each required to structure a separate PPP
arrangement. The city council would lead the first layer responsible for road
construction. The real estate developers would lead the second layer and be
responsible for constructing station precincts especially the construction of a
solar-based Transit Mall. The Trackless Tram consortium and public transport
agency will manage the third layer that provides and operates the trams. The
split of the project into three layers should enable its quicker delivery by
lowering capital risk through spreading it over a number of players. Climate
finance could be tapped. This model should be replicable to other developing
cities.