Cycling away from urban social exclusion

Business Development Studies

21 February, 2011
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 The highlight of my research is to analyze and evaluate the feasibility of the inclusion and

implementation of bicycling in the development policy context of cities, in developing countries in

Latin America, as a complementary alternative to contend social exclusion and hence, poverty. This

research should be of interest of national and local developing countries’ governments and to any

policy maker interested in the alleviation of social exclusion as a dimension of poverty.

As different nations of the world experience growth, these nations and in particular their

main urban centers are affected with: spreading out of the urban area, too much traffic, congestion,

overcrowding of the public transportation system, longer travel times, etc. Consequently, all of

these factors produce an imbalance in economic activity of the city and the country (OECD, 1995;

World Bank, 2002). For instance, inhabitants of the outskirts of the major developing cities found

themselves with poor job prospects and a high share of their income spent in transportation.

In a study in 1995, the OECD shows awareness of some governments recognizing the need

for change and aiming to reduce their citizens’ car dependency and pointed out that large scale road

investments are not a sustainable solution. Likewise, at the beginning of the new millennium

different countries in Europe, the United States and some developing countries started to include the

issue of transport social exclusion in their policies and planning, however, the connection between

social exclusion and transport have been known for many years (Solomon, 2003).

The Department of the Environment, transport and the Regions (DETR) in England

identifies four main types of transport social exclusion: spatial, temporal, personal and financial.

Since, this research is focused to find alternatives to alleviate poverty the financial type is of higher

relevance and it happens when “people cannot afford to get there (when the sacrifice of, for

example, food for fares is not realistic)”.

In general terms, most transport policies can appear to be inclusive (Solomon, 2003), but it

is important for policy makers to inform themselves further, in terms transport social exclusion,

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and look at new or prospective transport policies under the light of social inclusion. In addition, it is

important to select the right benchmarks; since, “it will not be possible to measure how far

transport affects social exclusion without defining how much access, and to what, and its cost and

convenience, would constitute ‘inclusion’” Solomon (2003:154)

As countries develop, their main cities experience a huge inflow of people from surrounding

areas, making the issue of transportation a main priority. But how exactly are they coping with it?

The World Bank approach to understand this issue unveils a huge danger. As developing countries

create policies aiming to supply the demand for transportation with motorized options bicycling and

other forms of Non Motorized Transportation (NMT) becomes less safe, less convenient and less

attractive (Gwilliam, 2002).

Additionally, the World Bank analyzes who is using bicycles in developing countries and

the main social and political attitudes attached to its use. It also takes a more specific approach by

analyzing the possible and particular obstacles for the use of bicycles by women. Accordingly,

some of the report findings in regard to policy maker’s choices in terms of transportation are:

- Preference for motorized over NMT because they regard it as technologically more

advanced

- Lack of interest by engineers, who favor dealing with more technically rewarding road and

bridge design.

- The rich and politically influential classes are likely to be car users and have very low

interest in NMTs solutions.

- Lack of transport-planning skills and design solutions appropriate for the large NMT

volumes found in developing countries.

- Local governments are dependent on central government for road infrastructure funding;

this limits local initiatives for NMT.

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 There are many arguments that oppose the use and implementation of bicycles as a transport

alternative; particularly bicycles are seen as low-speed, and congestion generators. For instance, the

rejection to bicycles in some developing countries has gone as far as banning them from the streets,

as was the case of some Asian cities in the 1960’s. Manila banned rickshaws (a tricycle able to

transport up to 2 passengers) in 1950’s, Bangkok in 1960 and Karachi in 1962, some of the most

recent restrictions to bicycles were seen in Jakarta in 1988 (Rahman, 2009). In brief, Non Motorized

Transportation Vehicle (NMTV) is synonym of underdevelopment in many Latin American

countries. Bicycles are not an exception and as means of transportation can face opposition from

cultural perception of underdeveloped way of transportation.

Moreover, the European Commission shows a different, yet promising perspective of

cycling. Despite its main focus on environmental issues, such as reduction of CO2 and noise, its

analysis also includes an economic impact assessment on economic benefits; which is in line with

the relation between transportation, social exclusion and poverty. Likewise, the commission goes

further to give recommendations for governments interested in adopting NMTs choices in their

policies.

The literature reviewed here, comes mostly from developed countries. This fact makes it

more relevant because this study can help developing countries gain knowledge from developed

countries mistakes and experiences.

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 References

Analysis and Development of New Insight into Substitution of Short Car Trips by Cycling and

Walking: How to Substitute Short Car Trips by Cycling and Walking: Adonis. City: Bernan

Associates, 1998.

DETR (2000). Social exclusion and the provision of public transport - Main report. Department of

Transport, Environment and the Regions (DETR), London.

Gwilliam, K.. Cities on the Move. Washington: World Bank, 2002.

Rahman, Mamun M. and D'Este, Glen and Bunker, Jonathan M. (2009) Nonmotorized public

transport development: present scenario and future approach in developing cities. In:

Proceedings for the 3rd Smart Systems Postgraduate Student Conference, 16 October 2009,

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland.

Solomon J. 2003. What is Transport Social Exclusion?. In Delivering Sustainable Transport, Root

A. (Ed): pp. 151- 156. Pergamon. Amsterdam

Urban Travel and Sustainable Development. Organization for Economic Development, 1995.