Can improved transport increase safety risks?

The Peruvian government has embarked on a programme to improve road and rural trails. How has this development of the transport system affected local people in Peru, especially the safety and security of women and children?

As large Peruvian cities grow due to migration from rural areas, the smaller cities are experiencing a strong flow of goods and people between the urban and rural districts, creating a need for better roads and transport systems.

From 2001 to 2006, the Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communication rehabilitated 4,398 kilometres of rural roads and helped to improve 3,650 kilometres of rural trails. They supported 553 community-based micro-enterprises that are responsible for maintaining 2,888 kilometres of roads. This was the second phase of the Rural Roads project, managed by the Ministry and aimed to ensure safe and reliable roads from urban centres to rural regions.

A study for the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development looks at safety aspects and the impact of rural roads built under the Rural Roads project in Cajamarca and the rehabilitation of an ancient community trail linking Cajamarca to Cumbemayo. It also examines a small rural road circuit of 15 kilometres in Chupaca, Junin, which connects ten small towns. It identifies links between the rehabilitation of roads, tourism and the risks to women’s and children’s safety and security. Safety risks refer to traffic accidents resulting in injury, death or damage to vehicles. Security risks refer to criminal activity via the transport system.

The researcher found that:

• A study by the local Ombudsman showed that road improvement led to improvements in people’s mobility and economic development. However, it failed to mention that poor people were excluded from the resulting growth and used abandoned paths as transport is too costly.
• While all motorised vehicles are required by law to be insured, enforcement is weak and few comply with this requirement. This implies a greater security risk.
• Public buses and mini-bus ‘combis’ (carrying up to 22 passengers) are common; the ‘combis’ are perceived to pose the highest risk, especially at peak hours when they tend to overload. Women and girls face an added risk of sexual harassment on buses.
• Rural trails have deteriorated since a twice yearly practice of collective maintenance of trails was weakened, because of the introduction and then cessation of funded rural trails improvement projects. This has affected users’ safety, especially for women and girls carrying heavy loads.
• People feel increasingly unsafe since the rehabilitation of roads in their area. There has been an increase in attacks by gangs, general theft, stock theft, robberies and rape, as the area has become more accessible to strangers.

The study draws concludes that:

• While road rehabilitation is often much-needed and leads to a better standard of living, the negative impacts, such as increases in robbery, assault and rape, require urgent attention.
• Transport in rural areas remains informal and infrequent; this system needs to be improved and formalised.
• As safety and security are significant concerns for both rural and urban populations, civil society organisations must become more involved in planning and implementing a strategy to deal with the negative impact of road and trail rehabilitation on local people.

Source(s):
‘The better the road, the greater the risk: Impacts of road rehabilitation on safety and cultural values’, International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD), by María Teresa Gutiérrez Santayana, 2007 Full document.

Funded by: International Forum for Rural Transport and Development

id21 Research Highlight: 17 October 2007

Further Information:
María Teresa Gutiérrez Santayana
Nacional Forum for Rural Transport Development FNTRD
1084 – 402- Jose Egusquiza Ave
Lima 21
Peru

Tel: +51 1 4619175
Contact the contributor: mategusa@yahoo.com

International Forum for Rural Transport and Development

Other related links:
‘Time to Broaden the Transport Safety Debate. Study on various elements of rural transport safety. A synthesis of pilot case studies from Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Cameroon and Peru.’ IFRTD: London, by Didier Young, Granie R Jayalath, Ashoke Sarkar, Maria Gutierrez and Vivien Meli, 2007

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