How Would the Trackless Tram System and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Apply to Bulawayo?

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.