I have been a consultant for some thirty-five years during which I have worked on the planning, appraisal and evaluation of projects in many countries. Starting with cost-benefit analyses of public sector projects I gradually tended to concentrate on the transport sector. During the past twenty years I have been almost entirely concerned with rural transport projects. Over the past ten years or so my interest in roads has centred upon the larger issue, which unifies many facets of rural planning, of making rural services more accessible to users. Roads are simply a means, among others, to make people more mobile. Whether this mobility will facilitate access to wells, clinics, schools or markets must be assessed. Maybe people, especially the poor, cannot afford to use them. Perhaps building more services would be better.
When this site was designed some eight years ago these obvious truths were frequently ignored. Roads were often seen as an end in themselves and too much attention was given to constructing them to high technical standards inappropriate for small numbers of motor vehicles. Now I am glad to say that perceptions are slowly changing. I hope this site has contributed.
I am now interested in giving lectures or seminars on the subject of rural transport planning and am open to proposals. There is much more to be said than could be squeezed into my site and I would be pleased to explore in more detail the multiple avenues it opens. Fees will contribute to improving the site.
