Presented by Eduardo A. Vasconcellos National Public Transport Association (ANTP), Brazil. 23rd June 2016 This talk summarises current mobility conditions and policy challenges in large Latin-American metropolitan areas. The presentation is structured in three main parts. It will begin discussing key data on current mobility conditions – private and public transport means, financial and institutional characteristics, individual mobility conditions (mode used, cost, travel time, safety, comfort, accessibility), mobility consumptions (time, space, energy) and who generates and who endures the impacts of negative externalities (road safety, emissions and congestion). Most data come from urban mobility observatories led by ANTP (Brazil) and by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). The second section proposes a comprehensive methodology to analyse urban mobility, combining technical, social, political and economic characteristics that helped to engender the high level of inequity and inefficiency observed in Latin American urban areas. The third part analyses the existing political and economic barriers to the complex changes in the urban mobility patterns discussed before. It explores what could be proposed or implemented to improve the level of equity and efficiency on people’s mobility.

1. University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies,
ITS
ITS Research Seminar
Urban Mobility Challenges in Developing Countries:
The Case of Latin America
Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Leeds, June 23, 2016

2. 2
Historical development and current conditions
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

3. University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016
Country Urban Areas
Argentina 1
Brazil 5
Chile 1
Colombia 1
Costa Rica 1
Mexico 3
Peru 1
Uruguay 1
Venezuela 1
TOTAL of 15 areas
Pop.: 106 million PT vehicles: 230,000 Automobiles: 25 million
Trips: 204 million per day
Brazil
Argentina
Mexico
Colombia
Peru
Chile
Uruguay
C. Rica Venezuela

4. University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016
Social and economic issues
Uneven development post WWII + fast urbanization
High levels of informality (50‐60%)/exclusion/ immobility
Low level of instruction and of political education
Fragile democracies + Poor citizenship development
Highly concentrated income distribution
( min. wage USD 250/ “manager” wage USD 5,000)

5. Mobility (data from the Brazilian and the Latin American Observatories)
NMT and PT serve 73% of trips
Public transport Low‐quality + priority on roads < 1% of roads
High cost burden on poor families (up to 30%)
Longer travel times opposed to automobiles
Automobile impacts: 80% (space), 70% (energy), 68/72% (PM/CO2)
Pedestrians/cyclists correspond to 68% of fatalities
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

6. Worrying Trends
Transport
Increase in auto (5% y.) and motorcycle (13% y.)
Pressures for deregulation of public transport
Actions against improvement of NMT
Social/economic
Very slow movement to change poverty and exclusion
Continued income concentration
Increased externalities and inequity
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

7. Critical issues and decisions
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

8. Q1: Efficiency or equity?
equity x equality
Q2: Sustainability for whom?
economic/environ/social
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

9. Q3: Public transport is
a public service?
a market issue?
Q4: Subsidies are
an investment ?
waste of money ?
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

10. Q5: “Small is beautiful”?
economic circuits and effects
Q6: Which city?
elite/middle class/democratic
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

11. Challenges and opportunities
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

12. 12
Difficulties for changing mobility conditions
Transmission of myths and false “conclusions”
Car as a “natural desire” and a “superior good”
“ Unavoidable “ poor quality of public transport
Ignorance on actual mobility impacts (“empty bus”)
Existent traffic environment is hostile to vulnerable people
High vehicle speeds (20% over 60 km/hour)
Few safe crossings, poor or inexistent sidewalks
Bike priority < 1% of roads
Pedestrians/cyclists cannot influence policies
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

13. 13
The dilemma of public transport supply ‐ Typical cycles
Wild Individual operators supply services under strict
“market” rules: low quality, conflicts, chaos
Latin America, Asia and Africa
Corporate Inefficient public operator leads to chaos
São Paulo, Mexico City
Irresponsible Hired private companies ensure spatial supply/regularity
but may capture state Brazil
Virtuous Society defines and controls, private operator
provides services with quality and efficiency
Europe
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

14. 14
Challenges
Convince society that NMT and PT are the best options
Reshape the traffic environment towards NMT
Improve PT systems and make them accessible for all
Stop subsidizing the automotive system + implement restrictions
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

15. Structural Obstacles
• Urban structure already built – will take decades to change
• No major political force sees PT as a priority
• Most financial resources tied to the automotive world
• Uneven distribution of power on policy decisions
• Continued poverty and weak citizenship
• Persistent influence of the middle classes pervasive
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

16. Opportunities
Society level
• Work with the sustainability network + environ/health
• Produce new knowledge to challenge myths
• Work at community level
• Exploit middle class new view of the environment
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

17. Opportunities
Political level
• Prioritize local level, working with mayors looking for change
• At federal level, work with Environment and Health Authorities
• Middle term: push for a strong National Policy on Mobility
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016

18. References
ANTP, Sistema de Informação da Mobilidade Urbana, www.antp.org.br
(reports in Portuguese)
CAF ‐Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina, Observatorio de Movilidad
Urbana – OMU www.caf.com (reports in Spanish)
Vasconcellos, Eduardo A .(2001) Urban transport, environment and equity –
the case for developing countries, Earthscan, UK.
____________________(2015) Transporte urbano y movilidad – reflexiones y
propuestas para países en desarrollo,UNSAM, Argentina.
____________________ (2010) Análisis de la movilidad urbana. Espacio,
medio ambiente y equidad, CAF.
University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies, ITS Eduardo A. Vasconcellos
Transport Equity in Developing Countries Leeds, June 2016