Taaffe, Morrill and Gould (TMG) Model
Taaffe, Morrill and Gould, in 1963, undertook a comparative analysis of the development of transport in developing countries and they were able to show that certain broad regularities permitted “a descriptive generalization of an ideal typical sequence of transportation development”. Their spatial model of transport network development in developing countries has proved to be a valuable help in the understanding of transport development and has been widely applied. The model which Taaffe and his colleagues devised was based upon Ghanaian and Nigerian experience, but it has been found to be applicable to other developing lands, for example, in Latin America. TMG Model Taaffe et al. identified six stages in their sequence of transportation development. Figure 3.3 illustrates the sequential stages in the evolution of the transport network. The first stage consists of scattered settlements and small ports along a coast, which arose from colonial occupation. Such coastal se