01659654

Component

This paper examines the network layout and service levels of paratransit in Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the effect of labour conditions and finances of drivers on transport distribution and passenger experiences. Research is based on surveys conducted in the city with passengers, drivers and analysis of minibus traffic. The paper argues that precarious labour practices and marginal incomes in anatomized, low-regulation public system lead to conservative route choices by drivers, caused by extreme working hours, stress and limited knowledge of passenger demand. Services across the city and outside peak hours are reduced in favour of competition for a smaller number of familiar lines leading to an inefficient and spatially underdeveloped network. Passengers face long travel times and multiple transfers, and suffer from aggressive and unpredictable behavior on the part of drivers.Separation between ownership and driving of vehicles and the informal working condition mean owners are guaranteed an income with minimal involvement, leading to low levels of maintenance investment, and expansion.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE90 Standing Committee on Transportation in the Developing Countries. The Role of Labor Informality in Paratransit Services: A Case Study of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: This is an alternate title.

18-03367

English

15p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Photos; References

Case studies; Labor; Level of service; Networks; Paratransit services; Working conditions

Lubumbashi (Congo)

Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-03367

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:49AM