Bridging the Divide of Formal and Informal Transit in Urban Areas - Considering Multidimensional Aspects of Sustainability

Maria Ali; Shaker Mahmood Mayo

Authors

Maria Ali Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
Shaker Mahmood Mayo Department of City and Regional Planning, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore

Keywords:

Transit System, Formal Transit, Informal Transit, Sustainability

Abstract

Public transport in cities across the developing world is fundamentally shaped by the dualism of formal and informal services. Informal transport modes, including minibusses, shared taxis, and auto-rickshaws, are not merely supplementary but are essential components of the urban mobility ecosystem, providing critical connectivity for marginalized communities. Contemporary scholarship advocates for a multifaceted evaluation of these systems to capture their full socio-economic, environmental, and operational impact. This paper conducts a systematic literature review to synthesize existing assessment frameworks for public transport. The findings reveal a significant gap: current methodologies often fail to integrate the core dimensions of sustainability—social, economic, and environmental—with emerging imperatives like climate resilience and comprehensive regulatory and technological considerations. By mapping the state of the art, this review underscores the necessity for a more holistic evaluation paradigm, focusing on frameworks that move beyond a simple formal-informal divide to foster comprehensive understanding and strategic integration.

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