Public transport modernization in the urban periphery: is the end of informal transport? Case study: overhead cable system “TransMiCable” in Ciudad Bolívar district, Bogotá - Colombia

Abstract

Several Latin American cities have embarked on public transport modernization projects, which include the implementation of aerial cable car systems in densely populated peripheral settlements. However, do these modernization processes mean the end of informal transport services that partially cater peripheral dweller’s daily mobility needs? Through a mixed method research, this work analyzed the impact over informal transport services as a result of the TransMiCable (TMC) system implementation in Ciudad Bolívar district in Bogotá, Colombia. The results showed that the incursion of the TMC system did not have major effects on the informal transport (IT) service, and conversely, it encouraged the emergence of a new route that connects the rural area of Ciudad Bolívar with the TMC system. Additionally, it was found that informal transport carries a significant number of daily trips to the interior of Ciudad Bolívar district that formal public transportation modes do not adequately address, which in turn reflects the process of “urban maturation” that is taking place in urban peripheral settlements in Latin America, which demands a new approach in planning and managing public transport in peripheral urban locations.

Keywords:
Urban transport; Social exclusion; Informality