IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jotrge/v55y2016icp182-188.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Livelihoods in motion: Linking transport, mobility and income-generating activities

Author

Listed:
  • Esson, James
  • Gough, Katherine V.
  • Simon, David
  • Amankwaa, Ebenezer F.
  • Ninot, Olivier
  • Yankson, Paul W.K.

Abstract

During the past decade, there has been an increased focus on mobility in the social sciences linked to the so-called ‘mobility turn’, which claims that as mobility is so pervasive it should not be viewed as a rupture in society but as a normal way of life. This is certainly the case in urban contexts of sub-Saharan Africa where mobility forms an integral part of livelihood and income-generating activities. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research conducted in Accra, the capital of Ghana, this paper explores the mobility of urban residents in differing parts of the city in relation to their livelihood strategies. Through illustrating the ways in which the mobility of urban residents is aided or hindered by Accra's transport system, and by examining how this in turn influences their livelihood strategies, the paper contributes to an alternative new mobilities paradigm that is more considerate of, and builds upon insights from, the global South where such research has a longer pedigree than in the global North.

Suggested Citation

  • Esson, James & Gough, Katherine V. & Simon, David & Amankwaa, Ebenezer F. & Ninot, Olivier & Yankson, Paul W.K., 2016. "Livelihoods in motion: Linking transport, mobility and income-generating activities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 182-188.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:55:y:2016:i:c:p:182-188
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.06.020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316303477
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.06.020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tracey Skelton & Katherine V. Gough, 2013. "Introduction: Young People’s Im/Mobile Urban Geographies," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(3), pages 455-466, February.
    2. Abane, Albert M., 2011. "Travel behaviour in Ghana: empirical observations from four metropolitan areas," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 313-322.
    3. Frederick A. Armah & David O. Yawson & Alex A. N. M. Pappoe, 2010. "A Systems Dynamics Approach to Explore Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution Link in the City of Accra, Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-14, January.
    4. Fields, Gary S., 1975. "Rural-urban migration, urban unemployment and underemployment, and job-search activity in LDCs," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 165-187, June.
    5. Katherine V. Gough & Paul Yankson, 2011. "A Neglected Aspect of the Housing Market," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(4), pages 793-810, March.
    6. Finn, Brendan, 2008. "Market role and regulation of extensive urban minibus services as large bus service capacity is restored - Case studies from Ghana, Georgia and Kazakhstan," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 118-125, January.
    7. Thilde Langevang & Katherine V. Gough & Paul W. K. Yankson & George Owusu & Robert Osei, 2015. "Bounded Entrepreneurial Vitality: The Mixed Embeddedness of Female Entrepreneurship," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(4), pages 449-473, October.
    8. Amoh-Gyimah, Richard & Aidoo, Eric Nimako, 2013. "Mode of transport to work by government employees in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 35-43.
    9. Porter, Gina & Hampshire, Kate & Abane, Albert & Munthali, Alister & Robson, Elsbeth & Mashiri, Mac & Tanle, Augustine & Maponya, Goodhope & Dube, Sipho, 2012. "Child Porterage and Africa’s Transport Gap: Evidence from Ghana, Malawi and South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 2136-2154.
    10. P.R. Fouracre & M. Sohail & S. Cavill, 2006. "A Participatory Approach to Urban Transport Planning in Developing Countries," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(4), pages 313-330, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gina Porter & Jeff Turner, 2019. "Meeting Young People’s Mobility and Transport Needs: Review and Prospect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Schwanen, Tim, 2020. "Towards decolonial human subjects in research on transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Acheampong, Ransford A. & Asabere, Stephen Boahen, 2022. "Urban expansion and differential accessibility by car and public transport in the Greater Kumasi city-region, Ghana—A geospatial modelling approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Alimo, Philip Kofi & Rahim, Abdul Basit Abdul & Lartey-Young, George & Ehebrecht, Daniel & Wang, Ling & Ma, Wanjing, 2022. "Investigating the increasing demand and formal regulation of motorcycle taxis in Ghana," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Plyushteva, Anna, 2023. "Affording mobility: Attending to the socio-material affordances of transport un/affordability," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    6. Andreasen, Manja Hoppe & Møller-Jensen, Lasse, 2017. "Access to the city: Mobility patterns, transport and accessibility in peripheral settlements of Dar es Salaam," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 20-29.
    7. Tim Schwanen, 2018. "Towards decolonised knowledge about transport," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    8. Oviedo, Daniel & Cavoli, Clemence & Levy, Caren & Koroma, Braima & Macarthy, Joseph & Sabogal, Orlando & Arroyo, Fatima & Jones, Peter, 2022. "Accessibility and sustainable mobility transitions in Africa: Insights from Freetown," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    9. Horn, Christine & Gifford, Sandra M. & Ting, Christina Y.P., 2021. "Informal, essential and embedded: Transport strategies in remote Sarawak," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    10. Foley, Louise & Brugulat-Panés, Anna & Woodcock, James & Govia, Ishtar & Hambleton, Ian & Turner-Moss, Eleanor & Mogo, Ebele R.I. & Awinja, Alice Charity & Dambisya, Philip M. & Matina, Sostina Spiwe , 2022. "Socioeconomic and gendered inequities in travel behaviour in Africa: Mixed-method systematic review and meta-ethnography," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    11. Katherine V Gough & Paul WK Yankson & James Esson, 2019. "Migration, housing and attachment in urban gold mining settlements," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(13), pages 2670-2687, October.
    12. Ransford A. Acheampong & Alhassan Siiba, 2020. "Modelling the determinants of car-sharing adoption intentions among young adults: the role of attitude, perceived benefits, travel expectations and socio-demographic factors," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 2557-2580, October.
    13. Verlinghieri, Ersilia & Middleton, Jennie, 2020. "Decolonising and provincializing knowledge within the neoliberal university? The challenge of teaching about sustainable transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Fiona Carmichael & Christian K. Darko & Patricia Daley & Joanne Duberley & Marco Ercolani & Tim Schwanen & Daniel Wheatley, 2024. "Time poverty and gender in urban sub‐Saharan Africa: Long working days and long commutes in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 343-364, January.
    15. Maria Cieśla & Aleksander Sobota & Marianna Jacyna, 2020. "Multi-Criteria Decision Making Process in Metropolitan Transport Means Selection Based on the Sharing Mobility Idea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ransford A. Acheampong & Alhassan Siiba, 2020. "Modelling the determinants of car-sharing adoption intentions among young adults: the role of attitude, perceived benefits, travel expectations and socio-demographic factors," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 2557-2580, October.
    2. Agyemang, Ernest, 2017. "Mode choice for long distance trips: Evidence from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 150-157.
    3. Foley, Louise & Brugulat-Panés, Anna & Woodcock, James & Govia, Ishtar & Hambleton, Ian & Turner-Moss, Eleanor & Mogo, Ebele R.I. & Awinja, Alice Charity & Dambisya, Philip M. & Matina, Sostina Spiwe , 2022. "Socioeconomic and gendered inequities in travel behaviour in Africa: Mixed-method systematic review and meta-ethnography," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    4. Anna Brugulat-Panés & Lee Randall & Thiago Hérick de Sá & Megha Anil & Haowen Kwan & Lambed Tatah & James Woodcock & Ian R. Hambleton & Ebele R. I. Mogo & Lisa Micklesfield & Caitlin Pley & Ishtar Gov, 2023. "The Potential for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Transport Systems in Africa and the Caribbean: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-27, March.
    5. Jones, Steven & Tefe, Moses & Appiah-Opoku, Seth, 2013. "Proposed framework for sustainability screening of urban transport projects in developing countries: A case study of Accra, Ghana," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 21-34.
    6. Meng Li & Guowei Hua & Haijun Huang, 2018. "A Multi-Modal Route Choice Model with Ridesharing and Public Transit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    7. Ather Maqsood Ahmed & Ismail Sirageldin, 1993. "Socio-economic Determinants of Labour Mobility in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 139-157.
    8. Albertini, Julien & Terriau, Anthony, 2019. "Informality over the life-cycle," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 182-202.
    9. Gary S. Fields, 2020. "Informality and work status," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-159, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Schwanen, Tim, 2020. "Towards decolonial human subjects in research on transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    11. Suresh de Mel & David McKenzie & Christopher Woodruff, 2019. "Labor Drops: Experimental Evidence on the Return to Additional Labor in Microenterprises," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 202-235, January.
    12. Toşa, Cristian & Sato, Hitomi & Morikawa, Takayuki & Miwa, Tomio, 2018. "Commuting behavior in emerging urban areas: Findings of a revealed-preferences and stated-intentions survey in Cluj-Napoca, Romania," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 78-93.
    13. Ryzhkov, Alexander, 2018. "Local public transport in Russia: Regulation, ownership and competition," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 207-217.
    14. Scott Sanders & David Brown, 2012. "The Migratory Response of Labor to Special Economic Zones in the Philippines, 1995–2005," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(1), pages 141-164, February.
    15. Melo, Grace & Ames, Glenn, 2016. "Driving Factors of Rural-Urban Migration in China," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235508, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Fischer, Justina A.V., 2012. "Globalization and social networks," MPRA Paper 40404, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Philippe Adair & Hassiba Gherbi, 2020. "The Youth Gender gap in North Africa: Income differentials and Informal Employment," Erudite Working Paper 2020-06, Erudite.
    18. Ilhom Abdulloev & Ira N. Gang & John Landon-Lane, 2011. "Migration as a Substitute for Informal Activities: Evidence from Tajikistan," Working Papers 311, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    19. Spatz, Julius & Steiner, Susan, 2002. "Post-Reform Trends in Wage Inequality: The Case of Urban Bolivia," Documentos de trabajo 9/2002, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.
    20. Ana María Ibá-ez, 2014. "Growth in forced displacement: cross-country, sub-national and household evidence on potential determinants," Chapters, in: Robert E.B. Lucas (ed.), International Handbook on Migration and Economic Development, chapter 13, pages 350-387, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:55:y:2016:i:c:p:182-188. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-geography .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.