Author(s)

ZOUHOULA BI M. RICHARD

Abstract

In Abidjan, unmarked taxis have emerged as an important means of transportation. Operating on inter-municipal transport lines, they have generated the disapproval of metered taxi drivers who are the official beneficiaries of the urban transport services. Denouncing unfair competition, they have initiated strikes in support of the prohibition of unmarked taxis. The sector’s regulation, which sets out coercive measures for unmarked taxis, is getting used to the situation as there is a prevailing logic of predation and survival in the sector. This paper intends to reveal that the activity of these taxis contributes to the sluggishness of urban transport governance in Abidjan. Our approach to the situation was based on actors’ surveys using interview guides for collecting qualitative data and questionnaires for quantitative data. The results show that the predation and client-based logics of the local authorities favor the conflicts in the regulation and the development of the unmarked taxis’ activity. Results also reveal that unmarked taxis receive support from the trade unions in order to become a refugee-based activity in the Ivorian post-crisis context.

Keywords

Abidjan, metered taxi, unmarked taxi, governance, predation