Productive exclusion: Accessibility inequalities and informal employment in Bogotá

Abstract

Public transport provision has historically been biased against less affluent neighbourhoods, making access to jobs more costly and difficult for a substantial segment of the low(er)-income population. Our research explores the distribution of accessibility to formal and informal employment in Bogotá, Colombia. Building on geocoded travel and household characterisation data for the city and potential accessibility metrics, we present evidence of the contribution of public transport to social and spatial inequalities in accessibility for individuals in different spatial, economic, and social categories and the resulting mobility and accessibility inequalities such a distribution entails. Our analysis draws on social and economic inclusion, linking accessibility to and by public transport to the degree to which individuals are included in the safety nets associated with formal employment. We interrogate the effects of the current configuration of Bogotá and its public transport networks on improving accessibility to quality job opportunities, interpreting higher dependency from informal jobs as productive exclusion. Our study combines two perspectives not often combined, identifying variable levels of social and productive inclusion within the population. The findings suggest that progressive investments in bus rapid transit (BRT) and other forms of public transport around high-demand and highly attractive corridors reinforce cycles of segregation and concentration of formal and informal economic activities. We provide empirical evidence that can contribute to design and target policies for low-skilled and low-income workers in the informal economy.