Rural Access is Vital

Transport is fundamental to economic growth and the delivery of basic services. Low volume roads are the principal form of transport in the rural parts of most low-income countries. People require access to reach basic services and all kinds of economic and social opportunities. However, an estimated one billion people live further than 2 km from an all-season road. Isolated communities are often left behind in development.

The overall objective of the UK aid-funded Research for Community Access Partnership (ReCAP) is to improve accessibility of the rural poor in Africa and Asia to economic opportunities and social facilities through improvements to infrastructure and transport. The immediate focus is on strengthening the evidence base on more cost effective and reliable low volume road and transport services approaches, thereby influencing policy and practice. ReCAP focuses its activities on Africa and Asia, through the Africa (AfCAP) and Asia (AsCAP) Community Access Partnerships respectively, and builds on previous UK aid-funded research programmes.