Photo: Dr. Esther Boupda, 2012.
Intercity passenger transportation is an important cluster of economic activities in developing economies since a automobile ownership tends to be low. 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. This incites the location of urban freight distribution activites around bus stations. On the above photo, an intercity bus station in Douala, Cameroon has high activity levels for passengers, but also for freight. In addition to offering long-distance passenger services, the bus company can also transport freight (parcels) on behalf of its customers. Due to its centrality and level of activity, many commercial activities are agglomerating in the vicinity.