The impact of COVID-19 transport and mobility restrictions on women and vulnerable people living in low-income countries like Madagascar is still largely unknown. This research project led by the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme and the NGO Lalana aimed to understand how the lives of vulnerable households, particularly women, living in Antananarivo’s peri-urban areas were affected by COVID-19 transport and mobility restrictions in March-September 2020. The research was conducted in nine peri-urban municipalities of Antananarivo and networked with researchers in 10 other African and Asian low-income countries (LICs) to explore similarities and differences.
Short-term and long-term improvements to make transport systems in peri-urban Antananarivo safer, more gender-sensitive, and more responsive to the needs of users will require inclusive participatory planning. There should be greater emphasis on complementing minibus operations with policies and infrastructure supporting pedestrian movements, bicycles, motorcycles, and three-wheelers.
