The Transport and ICT

Global Practice
Smart Connections for All

Connecting people to markets and

services for greater development
impact
Virtual and physical connectivity plays a critical
role in promoting economic and social develop-
ment worldwide. Efficient transport systems are
essential to moving goods and services, connecting
people to economic opportunities and enabling ac-
cess to healthcare or education. Likewise, Informa-
tion and Communication Technologies (ICT) have
emerged as a major driving force behind economic
growth, citizen engagement and job creation.

Over the last 10 years, demand for modern and • Urban congestion: as a result of rapid urbaniza-
reliable connectivity solutions has grown expo- tion and motorization, most developing countries
nentially under the combined effect of globalization, are witnessing unprecedented levels of traffic
population growth, urbanization, economic develop- congestion, with severe consequences on economic
ment and technological progress—making transport and productivity, health and the environment.
ICT a cornerstone of the global development agenda. • Air pollution and road safety: road crashes claim
1.3 million lives every year and injure approximately
While crucial to reducing poverty, boosting pros-
78 million people—90 percent of them in develop-
perity and achieving sustainable development, the
ing countries. Urban air pollution, largely linked
world’s Transport and ICT sectors face tremen-
to transport, leads to the death of an estimated
dous challenges:
800,000 people each year.
• Accessibility: at least one-third of the world’s popu- • Climate change: the transport sector contributes
lation is not served by an all-weather road, while 60 approximately 14 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG)
percent have no way of connecting to the Internet. emissions. Transitioning to cleaner, greener mobility
• Affordability: even when adequate transport or solutions is paramount in combating climate change.
ICT services are available, they are often prohibitive- ICT-enabled solutions can potentially reduce 16.5
ly expensive. In Djibouti, a mobile broadband pack- percent of projected annual GHG emissions by 2020.
age costs more than the income of the country’s • Infrastructure financing gap: current investment
poorest 60 percent of the population. in transport and ICT infrastructure is insufficient to

Transport & ICT • January 2015

 meet the needs of developing countries. Innovative of ICT, as well as a shift from private to more ef-
financing mechanisms and higher private sector ficient public transportation modes. As part of the
participation can go a long way in bridging the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the World Bank is
infrastructure funding gap and improving connec- taking a lead role in integrating GHG considerations
tivity in our client countries. into projects, in support of the Rio+20 Conference.
• Inadequate capacity: the successful development • Development Corridors and Regional Integra-
of the transport and ICT sectors is also undermined tion: the Transport and ICT Global Practice seeks to
by weak governance, insufficient institutional ca- foster the development of high-potential transport
pacity, lack of training and lagging innovation. and trade corridors through a multi-sectorial ap-
proach designed to promote investment-led growth,
As they continue to grow and urbanize, our client optimize the use of infrastructure, encourage value-
countries have a unique opportunity to tackle added processing, and enhance competitiveness.
those challenges as part of their development • Road Asset Management and Rural Acces-
strategy and connect their citizens to the global sibility: a modern, well-maintained network
economy in a sustainable, inclusive way. of rural and inter-urban roads can bring major
It is the mission of the World Bank’s Transport and ICT development benefits to communities through
Global Practice to help them turn that vision into reality. better access to jobs, markets and services; greater
comfort, speed and safety; and lower vehicle
operating costs. The World Bank is playing a lead
Supporting clients across a wide role in helping clients bring about the institutional,
range of countries, regions and policy and regulatory reforms—as well as providing
sectors the financial resources and technical assistance—
required to achieve accessibility and sustained
Some 300 staff located in more than 50 countries transport outcomes.
support the work of the Global Practice. To- • Road Safety: developing countries bear the
gether, we are uniquely positioned to provide cutting- brunt of the 1.3 million fatalities that occur on the
edge expertise on transport and ICT issues, with a world’s roads every year. The Transport and ICT
special focus on nine priority areas: team, along with the World Bank-managed Global
Road Safety Facility, has worked closely with clients
• Urban Mobility: while cities have become the
to mainstream road safety into all relevant trans-
engine of growth and economic development, their
port projects. We also provide an extensive range
transport systems face considerable pressure. Traffic
of technical assistance and advisory services to help
congestion and inadequate public transport ser-
countries make their roads safer.
vices result in productivity loss, rising air pollution
• Broadband Access for All: the Internet is a key
and an aggravation of inequalities. The Transport
global infrastructure that underpins the world’s
and ICT Global Practice seeks to tackle the urban
economic and social interactions, and enables
mobility challenge, with a particular emphasis on
any user to access information, financial services,
how ICT can be used to address these issues and
markets, employment opportunities, and public ser-
improve the productivity of transport infrastructure.
vices. Increasing global internet penetration from
We are focusing on how sustainable “smart mobil-
the current level (approximately 44 percent) to 75
ity” systems can help address urban poverty while
percent would add a further US$2 trillion to the
also helping to mitigate climate change.
global GDP and create 140 million new jobs. The
• Green Transport and ICT: transport is at the heart
World Bank is committed to supporting its client
of climate change challenges and solutions. While
countries in the creation of appropriate strategic
transport activities are essential for economic and
and policy frameworks that would enable private
social development, we must mitigate their impact
investment, preferably in a competitive setting, to
through better land use planning, logistics and use
address the need for broadband.

2 | Smart Connections for All

 Transport & ICT Projects

1%1%
6%
9 %

ECA 2% 3%
84 % $7.1 bn 11%
32%
1% 2%
21%
EAP
6% $7.5 bn
MNA 18%
6 1% %

36% 30%

LAC $1.9 bn 7
%
30%
32% 60%
$7.0 bn
1% 6%
5% 11% 10% 2%

18%
36
%

14%
SAR
53% $8.3 bn
Rural and Inter Urban Roads 30%
9%

Urban Transport AFR 9%

$9.7 bn
Railways
Other Transport
ICT
Other

• Railways: nearly two-thirds of all rail freight in The Transport and ICT Global Practice supports these
the world is carried in developing countries. The critical development areas through infrastructure
Transport and ICT Global Practice seeks to enhance lending, technical assistance and advisory services.
the outcomes of freight and passenger rail in client We help our clients fight poverty and boost prosperi-
countries. To that end, we have identified railways ty in a sustainable way by improving connectivity and
as an effective means to deliver high-capacity trans- competitiveness, linking people to markets and social
port and lower costs. services, stimulating economic growth, increasing cli-
• Leveraging the Private Sector: private participa- mate resilience and reducing their carbon footprint.
tion is a game changer in infrastructure financing,
The World Bank Group is the largest provider of
particularly in areas such as telecommunications
development finance for transport globally, with
and transport. Such investment drives projects in-
an active transport portfolio of US$41 billion (as of
cluding roads, ports, and airports. The World Bank
seeks to help client countries increase private-sector December 31, 2014). More than three-quarters of
World Bank projects include an ICT-related com-
participation by improving policy, regulatory frame-
ponent and ICT-specific projects account for US$1.5
works and institutional arrangements through
billion of the Bank’s portfolio.
technical and other assistance.
• Mainstreaming ICT: ICT has transformative The Transport and ICT team collaborates actively
potential for every sector of development, from with other Global Practices and sectors across
intelligent transportation systems to precision the World Bank. It also relies on, hosts and serves as
agriculture. The rise of ICT activities has also given Secretariat for four trust funds and global part-
citizens access to more accountable, responsive nerships: the Global Road Safety Facility, the Africa
and transparent governments through Open Data Transport Policy Program, the ICT4D Multi-Donor
and other initiatives. Today, more than 74 percent Trust Program, and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund on
of World Bank projects have ICT components. The Sustainable Logistics.
Transport and ICT Global Practice works across sec-
tors to harness and promote new and innovative
technologies.

Transport & ICT | 3

Our impact
Through Transport and ICT projects, the World Bank providing improved government services through
has a long track record of positively improving the technology, or through a host of other channels, such
lives of people in the developing world. Whether con- engagement has led to real and lasting impacts on
necting people to markets, driving job creation, in- poverty reduction and sustainable growth.
creasing efficiency and reducing the cost of transport,

For example:
We are making a differ- We are making a differ- We are making a differ- We are making a dif-
ence in Urban Mobility. ence in Green Transport. ence in Road Safety. ference to ensure
Over the last 20 years, the In the city of Wuhan, In India, where road Broadband for All. In
World Bank has spear- China, more than one accidents kill almost 400 Mozambique, we sup-
headed several major sub- million privately owned people each day, we’re ported a project to open
urban rail and metro proj- vehicles have claimed the supporting the country’s up the telecommunica-
ects in Brazil in an effort streets in recent years, Road Transport and Safety tions market through an
to improve accessibility to bringing increased pollu- Bill through a holistic international tender for
formal jobs, especially for tion and greater demand focus that goes beyond a new mobile operator.
the bottom 40 percent. In for land to facilitate infrastructure. The World After two years, the new
the Sao Paulo Metropoli- parking and roadways. Bank, in coordination with entrant built 2,800 2G/3G
tan Region, 150,000 low- The World Bank’s Wuhan the Global Road Safety base stations and 25,000
income families now Urban Transport Project Facility, has two goals for kilometers of fiber opti-
have access to an ad- has helped the city build this project: first, to sup- cal cables, covering 100
ditional 2.5 million jobs 10 new bus depots and port the improvement percent of districts and
as a direct effect of the terminals to attract mass of the road network highways, and serving
project. In Rio de Janeiro, transit users and stem through the rehabilita- nearly 80 percent of the
the share of household the rising tide of cars. As tion and widening of key Mozambican population.
income devoted to a result of the project, corridors and, second, By the end of 2013, the
transport decreased the public transport to foster collabora- company increased its
from 30 percent to 13.1 network has expanded tion among key agen- coverage in rural areas
percent for the lowest and bus ridership has cies in supporting the from 60 percent to 85
income bracket as the risen by 40 percent. The implementation of road percent and doubled
result of an integrated project also helped build safety policy. We have the number of covered
fare system. or revitalize cycling and also connected police in people from 35 percent
walking paths, as well as India’s Uttar Pradesh state to 75 percent. Nearly
training local officials on with highway traffic police 600,000 people in five ru-
how to plan and develop from New Zealand, which ral districts have telecom-
sustainable urban trans- will empower local po- munications services for
port options. lice to help lead proac- the first time.
tive road safety efforts
at the national level.

For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/transport and www.worldbank.org/ict

Photo Credits
Front: Arne Hoel / © World Bank