This document provides a literature review on opportunities for soft mobility (walking and cycling) in urban and suburban areas, using Ethiopia as a case study. It discusses the benefits of walking and cycling, including economic benefits, health benefits, and environmental benefits. It assesses factors influencing walking and cycling in Ethiopia, such as infrastructure, land use planning, effects of rising motorization, and promotion of active transportation. The document recommends pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly urban design and integrated transportation infrastructure to create a safe, low-risk environment for active travelers in Ethiopia.

1. By: Beza Abebe Dress Page | 1
Opportunities for soft mobility issues, walking and cycling,
in urban and suburban areas: Case study In Ethiopia.
Abebe Dress
Contact address: beza.abebedress@edu.bme.hu
1 Introduction
Non-motorized transport system has a great effect on the mobility of the transportation
industry. Even though Metros, trams, buses, private cars walking and bike are the major
transport modes all over the world, walking and cycling are the active transportation system
which are used by commuters. Today it is becoming a vitally important issue in regarding
to walking and bike due to the increase in environmental pollution. With this regard recent
demand modelling approaches are enhanced to account bike modes as it is one of
environmentally friend transportation system. Among the approaches being used
improving walking facilities and bike sharing system is influential. (Aziz, 2017)
Public transport users get more daily physical activity due to walking or cycling trips to
and from transit stops. Conversely, high reliance on motor vehicles for transport has many
negative outcomes including increased traffic congestion, sedentary behavior, health
impacts and social isolation. It is now apparent that the use of private vehicles endangers
the environment and leads to many urban stressors including noise and air pollution, as well
as accident and traffic congestion. For these reasons, across cities globally efforts are
spreading to reduce car dependency and create liveable neighborhoods where walking,
cycling and public transport services are the primary transport choices (Claire Boulange,
2017).
The transport system in Africa is somehow different from other regions as walking and
cycling are the main modes of transport due to poor implementation of public transport.
Pedestrians and persons riding on 2 or 3- wheelers in the African region are the most
vulnerable road users on the most dangerous roads on earth. In most countries in the region
there is little evidence that road network planning has incorporated the space and safety
needs of these groups. They continue to be treated like obstacles to motorized traffic. Even

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when it is obvious that the majority of the road users are not inside cars, new roads continue
to be built for cars, with few or no facilities for those outside them. Pedestrians, and those
on 2-and 3-wheelers are not a peripheral concern though they are central to addressing the
road safety problem.
According to WHO global status report on road safety road traffic fatality rate is high in
Africa. And it is obvious that pedestrians and cyclists are vulnerable for road traffic fatality
that accounts around 45% of road traffic death. (WHO, 2015)
Figure 1. Road traffic accident in the world by region
2 Literature review
There are many studies in developed countries from transportation side and health benefit that
shows the important of walking and cycling for the society. But what obtained in developing
countries is almost unknown. As the study by Jia Gao shows the active transport modes (i.e.
walking and biking) are people’s daily life to reduce the risk of non-communicable disease.
(Jie Gao, 2017). The study in Nigerian city by (Olojede O., 2017) shows that being emission
free, both walking and bicycling are environment friendly modes. They are popular travel
modes as they involve physical activity rather than any form of motorization for moving
between locations. They are also relatively inexpensive and, to a large extent, accessible to all
except those who are physically challenged and can neither walk nor cycle. However, in every
respect, walking is by far cheaper than bicycling as no financial cost whatsoever is required.
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9.3
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10
15
20
25
30
Roadtrafficfatalityrateper
100000population

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Thus, walking is the most common form of active travel. In fact, no other travel mode is totally
independent of walking as it serves as the link between modes.
The role on non-motorized transport (walking and cycling) modes in the cities and towns of
Ethiopia is very important. Walking is a major mobility in all urban areas including Addis
Ababa, where its share is estimated to be 60%. In other towns like Bahir Dar, bicycle is a
favorite mode. In smaller urban areas animal drawn modes provide much needed mobility. It
shall be endeavor to sustain and promote the non-motorized transports to provide transport
service in a safe and convenient manner. (Transport Ministery of Ethiopia, 2016). Cycling is
an efficient way of using expensive and scarce space in urban areas, and is healthy, clean and
cheap next to walking. It has enormous potential when we acknowledge that almost half of all
car trips in cities are of less than five kilometers (European Commision, 2018). Nevertheless,
number of cyclists are decreasing from year to year. In one of the city of Ethiopia, Bahir Dar
where children, students and young professionals are ready to ride bikes to school, to work and
for pleasure. Eight years ago, 30,000 people rode their bikes regularly. That number has
dropped to 10,000 with the arrival of bajajs, (three-wheeled vehicle motorized taxis) that clog
city streets and zig and zag through traffic, causing accidents. (Global health Institute, 2015)
There is no bike sharing company in Ethiopia. However, bike sharing system can provide a
serious of contribution to reduce congestion and improve the air quality in the cities. When
replacing cars, bike trips can particularly reduce co2 emissions for short distance of less than 5
kilometers. In combination with public transport, Bike sharing system can be a crucial factor
to increase the opportunity to reach transit. This is significant in parts of the city with a lower
density of public transport stations. As an alternative mode for short trips that are usually made
by means of public transport, bike sharing system can relieve the public transit system by
providing a complementary services (Florian Paul, 2014).
Walkability has many advantages for health however it associated with leisure-time and
transport physical activity and suggest that in developing regions where urbanization is high,
walkability could affect the level of physical activity among adults. The rapid urbanization
taking place in developing countries and accompanying changes in motorized transportation
has negative consequences for walking activity levels. (Rodrigo Siqueira Reis, 2013)

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3 Benefits of Walking and Cycling
3.1 Economic benefits and job creation
Initiation of active transport modes has a tremendous contribution in the economic growth of
one’s country. For instance implementation of bike sharing system creates job opportunity and
has positive effects on revenues and new jobs. Staff is required to maintain and redistribute the
bicycles. Despite the realities of active travel, it has a lot of social, economic, and health
benefits. These, according to (Olojede O., 2017) it includes road and parking facility cost
savings, reduced chauffeuring burdens, increased traffic safety, pollution reductions, energy
conservation, transport cost savings, increased security, higher property values, open space
preservation, improved public fitness and health, and increased community cohesion. These
are enough reasons to support active travel. However, whether we have an understanding of
the factors that encourage or discourage this highly beneficial and environment-friendly travel
mode is a major consideration.
3.2 Health benefits
The physical activity of cycling is recommended to protect health and prevent disease. The
study by (Marko Tainio, 2015) health effects of active travel and air pollution were estimated
through changes in all-cause mortality for different levels of active travel and air pollution. Air
pollution exposure was estimated through changes in background concentrations of fine
particulate matter (PM2.5), ranging from 5 to 200μg/m3 and the benefits from active travel
generally outweigh health risks from air pollution and therefore should be further encouraged.
When weighing long term health benefits from physical activities against possible risks from
increased exposure to air pollution, their calculations show that promoting cycling and walking
is justified in the vast majority of settings, and only in a small number of cities with the highest
PM2.5 concentration in the world cycling could lead to increase in risk. According to the hand
book by (Janett Büttner, Hendrik Mlasowsky, Tim Birkholz, 2011), “Optimizing Bike Sharing
in European Cities” just 20 minutes of cycling per day has a noticeable, positive effect on
health. Bike Sharing improves the health of residents by offering an active transport choice.
3.3 Environment

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Cities with walkability and good cycling infrastructure is liked by many individuals. It also
attracts tourists. Some of the interventions developed during the last decade, which aimed to
increase safe pedestrian and bike areas, and reduce car use, have helped to support active
transportation. Moreover, this increase in active transport is not correlated with an increase in
pedestrian and cyclist traffic injury rates, and as such has a huge economic impact (Katherine
Pérez, 2017).
The main themes that emerge are that walking and cycling are particularly linked to enjoyment,
independence, fitness and connection to the environment where as cycling offered
convenience, health benefits and for some women was seen as a safer form of travel than
walking or public transport because the respondents felt less vulnerable to potential attack.
However, whilst linking both walking and cycling to many positive attributes respondents also
identified many reasons why, in practice, they rarely travelled on foot or by bike. For this paper
we characterize these as the three R’s: Risk, Relatives and Reputation. (Colin G. Pooley, 2013)
Community changes towards walking and cycling friendly designs appear to generate risk
benefit tradeoffs, and therefore additional policies must be applied to minimize the increased
risks (Audrey de Nazelle, 2009). One of the most important goals of a bike sharing system is to
attract new cyclists. Besides, positive side effect is to improve the image of cycling and the
city’s image and branding e.g. by strengthening its image as a sustainable and eco-friendly city.
4 Assessment of walking and cycling; case study: Ethiopia
Factors influencing the decision to walk and cycling includes Awareness of health benefit,
cheapness, trip length, car ownership, safety and security considerations, facilities for walking
and cycling, easy access, favorable weather, avoidance of traffic congestion.
The factors that that influence the soft mobility in urban and sub urban area of Ethiopia is
dependent on the integration of motorized transport with non-motorized transportation
(walking and cycling). These assessment begins by considering the most influencing factors
that affecting the soft mobility and increase of traffic crash risks. Accordingly the factors are
Infrastructure related, Road user behavior,
4.1 Land use planning and NMT

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It was found that the factors that greatly influence respondents’ decision to walk include its
relative cheapness, the non-possession of personal vehicles by the traveler and favorable
weather. However, vehicle ownership, the relative slowness of the mode and the absence of
pedestrian facilities constituted the most significant barriers to walking as an active travel mode
in the city. (Olojede O., 2017) The appropriate design of facilities increase the number of NMT
user and decrease crash. The provision of adequate foot path and bike lane has a significant
effect on soft mobility. As it is outlined above NMT is prevalent in Ethiopia, however there is
still many problems in integration of Non-motorized mobility with land use planning. Some
part of the infrastructure is separated for vehicle, some for pedestrian. With this regard some
pedestrians cross illegally. NMT infrastructure are poorly integrated with other land uses. Not
only infrastructure construction but also policies are important. Specially for cycling (Lars B.
Christiansen, 2016) local policies and cultures of park use seem to play an important role for
the potential positive effect. The study in England by (Colin G. Pooley, 2013) underlying all
these activities is an assumption-often implicit-that if walking and (especially) cycling are
made sufficiently easy and attractive then people will automatically shift short journeys from
the car to more active modes and that they can be ‘nudged’ into travel behavior that is better
for them and for the environment. For example in Bahir Dar (located in North West part of
Ethiopia) where biking is historic culture: there is good opportunity for walking but for biking.
Many people want to bike but they fear accident due to unsuitable infrastructure for cycling.
4.2 Effect of rise of motorization
The number of car is drastically increased not only in Ethiopia but also in developed countries.
Ten years ago there was 30,000 bikers but this number decreased to 10,000 due to the increased
of motorized vehicles such as Bajaj, taxis. Bajaj is a three wheel vehicle which can
accommodate 3 passengers in addition to the driver. Due to the unplanned importing of these
vehicles it affects NMT and of course the accident rate is increased. (Colin G. Pooley, 2013)
Shows there is need to create a safe physical environment for both pedestrians and cyclists
where people can walk or cycle without feeling that they are exposed to undue risk. For cyclists
it is believed that this requires the provision of fully segregated cycle lanes on all arterial and
other busy roads in urban areas so that there is a cycling space in which people feel protected
from the dangers of road traffic. It is essential that this space is physically separated from
motorized vehicles and from pedestrians, and wide enough to accommodate a large volume of

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cyclists travelling at different speeds, otherwise some of the problems of risk associated with
road space may be transferred to the cycle routes.
4.3 Promotion of walking and cycling
The implementation of policies that encourage walking and cycling has a tremendous effect on
promoting these active transport modes. Bike sharing system has vitally important with this
regards. However no bike sharing system and there is few bicycle manufacturing company in
Ethiopia. This problem is also the same in all over Africa. The figure below shows bike sharing
system all over the world. It shows that no bike sharing system in Africa.
Figure 2. Bike Sharing Map of the world
5 Elaboration and Recommendation
Walking and biking play the most significant role in soft mobility in Urban and sub urban area.
Besides, these travel modes are environmental friend and have important role in public health
improvement. Accordingly Pedestrian and cyclist friendly designs should be called for and
implemented in developing countries like Ethiopia. A risk assessment of such built
environment transformations have to be evaluated quantitatively the competing risks and
benefits of community design changes in active travel. Active travel facilities should be
integrated into the transport infrastructure in the cities. Furthermore, traffic calming policies
and speed limits should be introduced and/or enforced according to a functional classification
of spaces, streets and road networks in the city, supported by appropriate infrastructure design
criteria to create a low-risk and amenable environment for active travelers

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6 References
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Health.
Colin G. Pooley, D. H. (2013). Policies for promoting walking and cycling in England: A view from the street.
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