K. Broersma

"What Role could the Bicycle Play in developing Countries ?"

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THE REGIONAL ACTIVITY SYSTEM

The regional activity system usually contains large areas of subsistence farms or "shambas", and- in the urbanised parts- gross revidential development, main commercial and shopping centres and industrial areas. The relationships between these land uses are numerised on the next page

The shambas produce maize, sweetpotatoes, bananas, beans etc. for the consumption of the family farming the land. However, a certain amount of specialisation occurs at the local markets;
Some of these smallholdings also produce a small amount of "cash crop". This is usually coffee, tea, bananas, peas, beans or pineapples. The coffee, for example, is taken to be processed at small factories scattered throughout the countryside and utilized by numerus people.
The bicycle could prove an appreciated alternativ for these shamba-local market (walking) trips, given suitable topographical conditions and accomodation to carry (limited amounts of) goods on the bicycle.
The non-foot requirements of the rural population are provided by the shops which are usually found built round the edge of the open markets. Those provide the more basic durable goods which are transported (by truck) there from the towns. They will often also supply to service requirements of the area such as shoe and other (bicycle).

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In addition to these shamba areas, there are a variaty of large estates, growing either coffee, tea, sugar cane, sisal, cotton etc. Coffee, for example, is processed in factories on the estates and then transported to warehouses for export. With tea however the processing plants tend to be fewer and larger and require a constant supply of leaf. Sisal estates cover a very extensive area on poorer, drier soils and again have processing factories on the estates or nearby. The estate-workers tend to live concentrated ("labour lines") on or near the estate. Since the economic feasibility of supply of water, sewerage, electricity very much depends on concentration of houses, a future concentration of population in rural villages (in current shamba areas), does not seem all that impossible; in that case a physical separation of living- and working places occurs, similar to that of the estate-worksrs. In that situation there seems to appear a market for the bicycle to bridge increased distances.
As follows from the aforesaid there are two levels of distribution of agricultural produce. At the top are the larger estates distributing through the main city centres wholesale markets (Nairobi, Mombasa, in the case of Kenya). Then there are the shambas exchanging surplus food in the local markets. Only in the latter distribution-process there could be a role for "the" bicycle.
From the wholesale markets the produce is then transferred to rotail markets and so to the consumers. In the lower income residential areas the markets take the form of large areas of covered stalls. Many of these are unplanned and have developed because of lack of organized provision. Goods are also spread on the ground for sale where paths cross in the local settlement. The mode of transport to and from these markets is currently "on foot", but the bicycle could certainly extend choice-possibilities for consumers and bring some diversification within "reach".

Many of the manufactured goods are imported and reach the main city (Nairobi) by rail from the harbour (Mombasa). The local factories are nearly all concentrated in Industrial Areas of the main cities and therefore most manufactured goods are distributed from a few (central) positions. Alongside the iudustrial and business areas a significant number of small scale manufacturing industries occur. These are mostly self-omployed workers, often using the land illegally. Principal products are hardware, carpentry, car engings and spares. The process is one of re-use of the materials that are furniture from packing cases and shoes from tyres. The goods are usually sold at the "workshop" or in the African markets. Both the workors in the official sector and the self-employed workers usually have to make the "home-to-work" journey and a bicycle would surely increase their freedom of movement.

The lack of rural job opportunity (outside the shamba only few peoplo are working in the shops and services of the market centre or as casual labour on the estates) and the full use of the shamba land has led to migration to the main centres where it is hoped a job can be obtained or some form of self-employment carriod out. However there is initially no permanence about this move, and therefore family and children are left in the rural area and a very strong urban-rural link is established (requiring mainly long-distance travel, served by bus, train or "matatu"). This link weakens (gradually) if a job is obtained and the family brought to town. The process of urbanisation is basically, as simple as that, creating tremendous urban transport probloms in the longer term.
Low income workers find jobs in a variety of places throughout the town as well as in their own residential areas. The majority of jobs are found in the industrial areas, central areas and the fringe activities described above. Some travel each day to the higher income residential areas to work as servants or guards. A large number is living in servants quarters in these residentia1 areas, but this is typical for cities with large "ex-patriates" communities, The higher inecome population are primarily employed in clerical, professional, managerial and marketing occupations. They, therefore, have strong links with the central and industria1 areas; they use almost exclusively cars (and can be written of as far as the "cycling-market" is concerned).

Summarising it does not look impossible to develop a useful contribution of the bicycle in the city or cites of rapidly urbanising regional systems in developing countries because of

1. a concentration of relatively low-income houcsholds, gradually developing urban travel patterns,
2. deteriorating traffic conditions in cities because of lack of road space and/or capital investment for high-cost infrastructure for motorized vehicles.

But .. , a positive planning & investment attitude towards bicycle facilities and suitable topographical conditions are almost basic requirements to enable the development of a "bicycle-system".

Even in (some) rural areas an increased mobility and/or travel comfort, introduced by the bicycle, might be a valuable asset; especially in the rural areas on the other hand, there might be an additional - "social" - constraint, that is: a "breakthrough" might be needed to "allow" the women, the traditional "carriers" of the shamba-surplus-goods, to ride bicycles (before their men ride motorcars).