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Earning a living, but at what price? Being a motorcycle taxi driver in a Sub-Saharan African city

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  • Diaz Olvera, Lourdes
  • Guézéré, Assogba
  • Plat, Didier
  • Pochet, Pascal

Abstract

Motorcycle taxis have become an essential part of the transport sector in an increasing number of Sub-Saharan African cities. An analysis of the way this activity operates in Lomé (Togo), based on field surveys, provides a better understanding of the reasons for the development of this transport mode. The majority of drivers earn enough from the activity to meet their day to day needs and to invest to increase human and economic capital. The arduous working conditions, the impacts on health and the risk of accidents and aggression explain however why the activity is perceived as temporary and undertaken for want of anything better. There is a need to identify measures to professionalize the occupation and improve its image, and also find the best way to implement them. The occasionally stated goal of doing away with motorcycle taxis in order to modernize urban transport systems would have negative effects on their livelihoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Diaz Olvera, Lourdes & Guézéré, Assogba & Plat, Didier & Pochet, Pascal, 2016. "Earning a living, but at what price? Being a motorcycle taxi driver in a Sub-Saharan African city," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 165-174.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:55:y:2016:i:c:p:165-174
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.11.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William Kisaalita & Josephat Sentongo-Kibalama, 2007. "Delivery of urban transport in developing countries: the case for the motorcycle taxi service (boda-boda) operators of Kampala," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 345-357.
    2. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13410 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Philippe De Vreyer & François Roubaud, 2013. "Urban Labor Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15808.
    4. Abdoumaliq Simone, 2005. "Urban Circulation and the Everyday Politics of African Urban Youth: The Case of Douala, Cameroon," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 516-532, September.
    5. Lourdes Diaz Olvera & Didier Plat & Pascal Pochet & Maïdadi Sahabana, 2012. "Motorbike taxis in the "transport crisis" of West and Central African cities," Post-Print halshs-00717909, HAL.
    6. Lourdes Diaz Olvera & Assogba Guezere & Didier Plat & Pascal Pochet, 2015. "Improvising Intermodality and Multimodality. Empirical Findings for Lomé, Togo," Post-Print halshs-01246819, HAL.
    7. Lourdes Diaz Olvera & Didier Plat & Assogba Guezere & Pascal Pochet, 2013. "The motorbike taxis in Lomé: Who earns what?," Post-Print halshs-01093566, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Armah, Abdul Karim & Li, Jinfa, 2023. "Generational cohorts’ social media acceptance as a delivery tool in sub-Sahara Africa motorcycle industry: The role of cohort technical know-how in technology acceptance," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    2. Wadud, Zia, 2020. "The effects of e-ridehailing on motorcycle ownership in an emerging-country megacity," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 301-312.
    3. Rekhviashvili, Lela & Sgibnev, Wladimir, 2020. "Theorising informality and social embeddedness for the study of informal transport. Lessons from the marshrutka mobility phenomenon," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Kemajou, Armel & Jaligot, Rémi & Bosch, Martí & Chenal, Jérôme, 2019. "Assessing motorcycle taxi activity in Cameroon using GPS devices," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Ehebrecht, Daniel & Heinrichs, Dirk & Lenz, Barbara, 2018. "Motorcycle-taxis in sub-Saharan Africa: Current knowledge, implications for the debate on “informal” transport and research needs," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 242-256.
    6. Alimo, Philip Kofi & Rahim, Abdul Basit Abdul & Lartey-Young, George & Ehebrecht, Daniel & Wang, Ling & Ma, Wanjing, 2022. "Investigating the increasing demand and formal regulation of motorcycle taxis in Ghana," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    7. Chalermpong, Saksith & Ratanawaraha, Apiwat & Anuchitchanchai, Ornicha, 2023. "Motorcycle taxis' varying degrees of complementarity and substitution with public transit in Bangkok," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Sgibnev, Wladimir & Rekhviashvili, Lela, 2020. "Marschrutkas: Digitalisation, sustainability and mobility justice in a low-tech mobility sector," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 342-352.
    9. Diaz Olvera, Lourdes & Plat, Didier & Pochet, Pascal, 2020. "Looking for the obvious: Motorcycle taxi services in Sub-Saharan African cities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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