As the COVID-19 outbreak passes and we look back, public transportation will stand out as one of the hardest hit sectors.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in February, between 60% and 90% of Latin Americans have stopped using buses, subways, or trains due to confinement and social distancing measures.
In a post-pandemic setting, transport has the potential to expand its role as a means of social and economic inclusion - among other things, contributing to the empowerment of women - and to be more sustainable, safe and affordable, according to Makhtar Diop, Vice President of Infrastructure from the World Bank.
Diop, born in Senegal but with Latin America in his heart for having lived four years in Brazil, speaks in this interview about the opportunities and challenges facing the region in terms of public transport systems for the future and, specifically, explains that post-pandemic reconstruction can be seen as an opportunity to make this sector more inclusive of women.
Question.
COVID-19 is causing serious health and economic impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Does the infrastructure sector have a role to play in responding to the crisis?
Reply.
Yes, it has a very important function.
The pandemic had a marked effect on infrastructure services, further exacerbating its social and economic impacts.
Poor people cannot go to work, go to school, or go to health centers when they need it most.
The energy sector was also seriously affected, as per capita consumption fell below the global average in 2017, while individuals and businesses find it more difficult to pay their bills.
Rethinking infrastructure services is key to post-covid-19 recovery, especially in Latin America, a region that still invests relatively little in this area, compared to the rest of the world.
Private sector investments could play a more important role in the region, if the necessary conditions are met;
much can be done about it.
We must also recognize that the response to the pandemic has fiscal limitations.
That is why we believe that high-quality investments in infrastructure sectors, such as transportation, should be part of the covid-19 recovery packages.
P.
One of the most visible effects of covid-19 is the empty streets of our cities.
Are Latin America's public transportation systems ready to address existing challenges and new issues posed by the pandemic?
A.
Since February, the number of people using public transportation in the region has dropped between 60% and 90%, mainly because they fear contracting the virus on a bus, train or plane.
This costs transportation operators between $ 380 million and $ 400 million per month, and has already led to bankruptcy for several of these companies.
Covid-19 has exposed many of the transportation vulnerabilities, but it also offers an opportunity to troubleshoot and make systems more resilient.
To achieve this, transportation must be a central part of the fiscal stimulus packages applied in Latin America and the Caribbean in response to the pandemic.
If projects are well planned, they can help address long-standing constraints in order to boost GDP growth, while keeping indebtedness under control and promoting a green and inclusive recovery.
For example, regional rural road maintenance projects alone generate between 200,000 and 500,000 direct jobs per year for every $ 1 billion spent.
Today, many transport systems in Latin American and Caribbean countries have access difficulties, low quality of service, high costs and lack of security, especially for women and girls.
P.
Inclusive mobility is one of the main challenges facing the region.
What is the real panorama of women's access to transportation in Latin America?
A.
There has been considerable progress, but in the region's public transport, women and men are still treated the same way, although their needs are very different.
If this factor is not taken into account, transportation systems can become hostile to women.
Out of every 10 women in major cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, six say they have been physically harassed on the means of transportation.
In a recent Bank study of Rio de Janeiro's commuter train system, it was observed that women would be willing to pay more if they could access wagons exclusively for them.
Still, this is not without a distorting effect because sex-differentiated cars can also increase stigma and the risk of harassment: almost a quarter of male riders say that women would be partially responsible for harassment if they decided not to ride. the exclusive wagons.
We must also remember that bullying is not the only problem.
Women often have to “negotiate” transportation when they are pregnant, accompanied by young children, or carrying lots of groceries.
They generally have to walk more or take informal means of transportation because they lack alternatives.
This situation is even more complex for low-income women who suffer from various vulnerabilities, such as living in remote areas with unreliable services and deserted streets with poor lighting.
Unfortunately, all of this contributes to a vicious cycle of disadvantage that forces them to take part-time, low-paying jobs closer to home or to avoid transportation altogether, reducing their chances of finding an income-generating job.
Q.
How can women in Latin America be offered a safer way to use public transport?
A.
The most important thing is to include women from the beginning in the design and implementation of transportation systems.
In fact, listening to the needs of 50% of the population is essential to design systems that are inclusive and safe for all.
In collaboration with UN-Women, we are launching an e-learning course that will increase the capacity of sector authorities to make gender issues part of the design and management of transport projects.
Another important part is that Latin America has been a pioneer in the application of technology to increase the safety of women.
In Mexico City, for example, a mobile application was launched through a World Bank project that immediately connects women with the police and victim assistance services.
It also teaches the rest of the passengers to intervene if they observe a situation of this type.
In Quito, the initiative “Get down on harassment” is a similar system of rapid response through text messages.
Many cities, such as Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, also have awareness campaigns and training initiatives to engage the community.
Q.
What do you think needs to change to offer women more opportunities through a safer and more accessible transportation system in the region?
A.
To find a solution, it is necessary that women play a key role in the design of transport systems, but also that they are adequately represented in the sector, as employees and as decision-makers.
We must also have good data and an accurate idea of the problem.
Clearly, empowering women makes economic sense.
It is estimated that if women had the same participation as men in labor markets, some $ 28 trillion could be added to the global economy by 2025. In developing countries, the lack of adequate transportation for women is the main obstacle in this case, according to the International Labor Organization.
In fact, women are almost 17% less likely to work outside the home because of this.
A combination of structural factors, including harassment but also high female participation in household responsibilities, leads women to accept jobs closer to home.
We have seen this in Buenos Aires and Mexico City, for example, where women spend the same amount of time on public transport as men, but their range of action is much more limited, so they have less access to opportunities.
Faced with the COVID-19 crisis, many countries and cities in Latin America and the Caribbean are thinking of alternatives for their transportation systems, in order to make them more inclusive for everyone, especially for women.
We recently published an important report that sheds light on the complexities Latin American women face on a daily basis in their commutes to work, which can help cities achieve a better reconstruction result than the above: Why is women move A study of mobility in cities of Latin America and the Caribbean (i).
As part of the recovery from COVID-19, gender issues must be taken into account and the various challenges women face in public transportation must be addressed.
Quality investments that promote gender inclusion will increase job opportunities for women and men and promote green growth.
I am confident that the Latin American and Caribbean region will continue to lead efforts in this regard.
María José González Rivas is the digital editor of the World Bank