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The demand for cars in developing countries

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  • Vasconcellos, Eduardo A.

Abstract

The paper analyzes the misunderstandings that have occurred in dealing with the private vs public transportation issue in developing countries. Both the economic view of the car as just a "free consumer desire", and the psychological views of the automobile as symbol of "freedom", "status" and "power" are criticized. An alternative sociological approach to the automobile is proposed, based on transport technology as embedded in the contemporary pattern of social reproduction. It is argued that the demand for automobiles, in addition to its utility, has been induced by urban, economic and transportation policies directed towards selected social sectors -- the middle classes -- who in turn perceive the car as an essential tool for their social reproduction. The same policies keep transit alternatives impractical. Consequently, there are important political (and not psychological) obstacles to alternative, less auto-oriented urban transportation policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasconcellos, Eduardo A., 1997. "The demand for cars in developing countries," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 245-258, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:31:y:1997:i:3:p:245-258
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    Cited by:

    1. Lourdes Diaz Olvera & Didier Plat & Pascal Pochet, 2002. "Hiérarchie sociale, hiérarchie modale dans trois capitales africaines," Post-Print halshs-00080746, HAL.
    2. Sudhakara Reddy, B. & Balachandra, P., 2012. "Urban mobility: A comparative analysis of megacities of India," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 152-164.
    3. Choudhury, Charisma F. & Ayaz, Sayeeda Bint, 2015. "Why live far? — Insights from modeling residential location choice in Bangladesh," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 1-9.
    4. Konstantakis, Konstantinos N. & Milioti, Christina & Michaelides, Panayotis G., 2017. "Modeling the dynamic response of automobile sales in troubled times: A real-time Vector Autoregressive analysis with causality testing for Greece," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 75-81.
    5. Han, Sun Sheng, 2010. "Managing motorization in sustainable transport planning: the Singapore experience," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 314-321.

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