Photo: Dr. Esther Boupda.
Intercity passenger transportation is an important cluster of economic activities in developing countries since a small share of the population owns an automobile. Several personal and commercial interactions are therefore assumed by bus services, implying that a bus station is at the same time a passenger and a freight terminal. It is therefore not surprising that activities related to urban freight distribution are located around bus stations. On the above photo, an intercity bus station in Douala, Cameroon shows high activity levels for passengers, but also for freight. In addition, to offer long-distance passenger services, the bus company can also transport freight (parcels) on behalf of their customers. Due to its centrality and level of activity, many commercial activities are agglomerating in the vicinity.