Ethiopian Practices in Urban-Urban and Urban-Rural Linkages from Road Transportation Perspectives in Hawassa City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Developing countries like Ethiopia has low level of urbanization and high rate of urban growth. In response to prevailing weak urban-urban and urban-rural linkages, Ethiopian government has formulated a policy that was aimed at strengthening urban-urban and urban-rural linkages. This policy response has a root to eradicate or if not to reduce poverty which can only be achieved through integrating urban resources with other urban and rural resources. Transportation is a key sector in revolutionizing the socio-economic environment from global to local perspectives. In urban history physically far areas were isolated from their counterparts due to distance decay. Advancement in transportation changed such situation and as a result physical distances have become less important to deter the interaction of far places. In the same manner transportation in Hawassa is playing key role in connecting isolated urban and rural areas within short span of time, compared to its performance during old ages. Transportation in Hawassa is playing the role better than previous times by way of connecting isolated centers to/from higher nodes in the region and outside. However the extent of the linkage is still weaker and disorganized compared to the expectations of the century in globalizing world. This paper evaluates urban-urban and urban-rural linkages from historical and theoretical perspectives and assesses the extent of urban-rural and urban-urban linkages in Hawassa City of Ethiopia focusing on road transport linkage. Data from secondary sources including different literature and from empirical studies are used to evaluate the ongoing situations in Hawassa City. Data of traffic flow survey was also in use to see the general trends.

Keywords: Road transportation, urban-urban linkage, urban-rural linkage, maxi buses