OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT OF PARATRANSIT: CASE STUDY OF CONDITIONS IN MADRAS.

The paratransit system forms an important component of the overall transportation infrastructure of an urban area. Based on field surveys, the various aspects of the paratransit services popular in Madras are briefly indicated. The employment opportunities offered by paratransit to the urban poor merit serious consideration. In developing countries, it would be desirable to evolve a suitable licensing policy to regulate the growth of the paratransit vehicles leading to an optimal development of paratransit in urban areas. An approach based on a desired modal split to be determined for each urban area based on the resources, social considerations and economic constraints, is indicated and illustrated by an example.