Motorcycle three-wheelers in Pakistan: Low-cost rural transport services, crucial for women’s mobility

Starkey, Paul; Batool, Zahara; Younis, Eng Muhammad Waqas; Rehman, Atteq Ur; Ali, Muhammad

doi:10.1016/j.trip.2021.100479

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Three-wheeled vehicles across the Global South play an important role in transportation because of their widespread availability and cheap costs. These vehicles have also supported empowerment, improved mobility, and economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups such as women in Pakistan ( 19 ). In dense, congested cities, traditional large and long fire engines have difficulty moving and turning, causing delays in fire response and suppression compared to smaller MFUs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Service Coverage and Response Times for Three-Wheeled Mobile Fire Units on Pari Island, Indonesia

Lestari

Kim

Adiwibowo

et al. 2022

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Improved service area coverage and response times by mobile fire response units is key to successful fire suppression and risk reduction. In this paper, the challenges of fire suppression in remote island communities are investigated. Small islands not only have limited firefighting equipment and resources but also face significant transportation problems. This study examines Pari, an island in the Pulau Seribu archipelago in Indonesia, to understand the planning and management of mobile fire units (MFUs) for improving effective response and suppression. Like other communities in developing countries, Pari Island uses small three-wheeled MFU vehicles to respond to emergencies in densely populated settlements with narrow roads and limited access. This study reviews environmental, roadway, vehicle, and operating requirements to support planning, management, and operations of MFUs. Service area coverages were estimated using geographic information system tools to investigate factors such as hose length and constraints based on the transportation infrastructure and exposure to fire hazards. Based on existing conditions, increasing hose length to 20 m would increase the coverage of the MFU service area by two times that of the existing service. The use of a 30-m hose could provide coverage to over 96% of residential structures on Pari Island. In addition to describing the analytical tools including coverage zones, receiver operating characteristic, and area under the curve metrics to support MFU planning and operations, this paper highlights other initiatives that could increase resilience against fires and other hazards threatening small island communities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Service Coverage and Response Times for Three-Wheeled Mobile Fire Units on Pari Island, Indonesia

Lestari

Kim

Adiwibowo

et al. 2022

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a rural context in Colombia, Saldarriaga Castrillón (2011) finds that travel time and age are key variables in using MTW for public transport. Also, in a rural context, Starkey et al (2021) highlight the fundamental role of MTW (in this case, six-seaters with routes) in three districts of Punjab Province, accounting for more than half the journeys done by women. The reason is that motorcycles driven by men are unavailable for women’s multipurpose trips during the day, and taxis are more costly, leaving MTW as the only low-cost alternative.…”

Section: Why Three-wheelers?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Motorized three-wheelers and their potential for just mobility in Caribbean urban areas

Nieto-Combariza,

San Gil,

Quesada

et al. 2024

Data & Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper investigates the role of motorized three-wheelers (MTW) in urban mobility within popular transport, a demand-responsive and unscheduled mode of transportation provided by self-organized small operators frequently operating in grey areas of regulation. Although popular transport is the primary mobility option for millions worldwide, knowledge about its users, operation, and environmental and social impacts remains scarce. This paper sheds light on some of the features and impacts of popular MTW, focusing on two case studies in the Caribbean with different scales and urban trajectories: Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, and Soledad in Colombia. We explored the relationship between MTW and fragmentation–(in)accessibility–exclusion in these cities, drawing on a framework connecting these concepts in the Latin American and Caribbean context. Using primary data from qualitative and quantitative methods, the paper examines the distribution of inhibitors or enablers of accessibility within the context of unequal, splintered, and fragmented transport and communication infrastructures. Additionally, the environmental impact of MTW in terms of CO2 and PM2.5 emissions is assessed using field data from low-cost sensors. The paper argues that planning for just urban mobility necessitates considering the ecological consequences of various transportation modes and their social consequences and potential for participation and inclusion. The applied methodology introduces low-cost, replicable, and scalable data production and analysis techniques, contributing to future research on sustainable and just mobility in resource-limited urban areas.

show abstract

“…Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the measures taken by African cities to curb or even completely ban MCT riding ignored the essential services they deliver and seemed to be mainly a response to the rising number of traffic accidents involving or caused by MCT operators (14). More cynical interpretations argue that those lobbying for such bans, or those who are in a position of power to implement such bans, typically travel by 4x4 and consider MCTs to be no more than a nuisance to their daily commute (15).…”

Section: Motorcycle Taxis and Motor-tricycle Taxis In Sub-saharan Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and the Motorcycle Taxi Sector in Sub-Saharan African Cities: A Key Stakeholders’ Perspective

Peters

Jenkins

Ntramah

et al. 2022

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article assesses the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the urban motorcycle taxi (MCT) sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). MCT operators in SSA provide essential transport services and have shown ingenuity and an ability to adapt and innovate when responding to different challenges, including health challenges. However, policymakers and regulators often remain somewhat hostile toward the sector. The article discusses the measures and restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and key stakeholders’ perspectives on these and on the sector’s level of compliance. Primary data were collected in six SSA countries during the last quarter of 2020. Between 10 and 15 qualitative interviews with key stakeholders relevant to the urban MCT sector were conducted in each country. These interviews were conducted with stakeholders based in the capital city and a secondary city, to ensure a geographically broader understanding of the measures, restrictions, and perspectives. The impact of COVID-19 measures on the MCT and motor-tricycle taxi sector was significant and overwhelmingly negative. Lockdowns, restrictions on the maximum number of passengers allowed to be carried at once, and more generally, a COVID-19-induced reduction in demand, resulted in a drop in income for operators, according to the key stakeholders. However, some key stakeholders indicated an increase in MCT activity and income because of the motorcycles’ ability to bypass police and army controls. In most study countries measures were formulated in a non-consultative manner. This, we argue, is symptomatic of governments’ unwillingness to seriously engage with the sector.

show abstract

Motorcycle three-wheelers in Pakistan: Low-cost rural transport services, crucial for women’s mobility

Cited by 10 publications

References 7 publications

Improving Service Coverage and Response Times for Three-Wheeled Mobile Fire Units on Pari Island, Indonesia

Improving Service Coverage and Response Times for Three-Wheeled Mobile Fire Units on Pari Island, Indonesia

Motorized three-wheelers and their potential for just mobility in Caribbean urban areas

COVID-19 and the Motorcycle Taxi Sector in Sub-Saharan African Cities: A Key Stakeholders’ Perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About