Getting from Here to There

• Published in: ReVista (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2021-10, Vol.21 (1), p.1-20
• Main Authors: Guzman, Luis A, Oviedo, Daniel
• Format: Magazinearticle
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: Bicycling; Cities; COVID-19; Employment; Informal economy; Infrastructure; Low income groups; Neighborhoods; Occupations; Pandemics; Population; Public transportation; Trends
• ISSN: 1541-1443; 1541-1451

Transportation - Towards a More Equitable City Informality and accessibility challenges in Bogotá, Colombia * Read English Version * Leer versión en español Passengers scramble for buses in Bogotá and climb aboard the speedy but crowded public transport system that traverses this sprawling city of seven million people, the capital of Colombia. According to the International Labour Organisation, 62% of all workers globally are in informal employment. Despite the construction of the Transmilenio system, the current spatial mismatch-where people can get to easily and where they need to be- makes travel times remain very high, particularly for the low-income population. Since the poorest households live mainly on urban fringes, away from the main employment centers, the effects of such a spatial mismatch widen the inequality gap because travel costs are high, consuming much of already low income. [...]most of these informal jobs are also concentrated and located on the eastern edge of the city. [...]the effects of the current spatial configuration of the city and public transport networks on improving accessibility to quality job opportunities imply a higher dependency on informal jobs as productive exclusion.