Social-Economic Effects and Political Satisfaction from Pedestrian Footbridges in Rural Areas

Abstract

It is generally accepted that having a proper river crossing point has a positive effect on rural inhabitants. Such crossing points would increase the ability of communities to access their social services, markets, jobs, and thereby lead to raising their standard of living. In line with this objective,Rwanda has been promoting the construction of pedestrian footbridges in rural areas, and with different partners, different pedestrian footbridges have already been constructed. It is very crucial that all institutions involved in the construction of pedestrian footbridges, both public and private, consider the financial benefits of pedestrian footbridges and some significant direct and indirect effects on the rural communities.The Objective of this study was to identify all possible benefits that may be generated by pedestrian footbridges to understand the potential range of their impacts in rural areas and the likely responses from those people impacted by the project. The study also proposed a comprehensive approach for estimating the economic impacts of a pedestrian footbridge in rural areas. The methodology involved community interviews conducted during site visits to identify and predict possible impacts due to the lack and availability of safe access via pedestrian footbridges.