Urban Mobility and Road Safety: Approach to the Safety of Users of Soft Modes of Transport in Grand Lomé

Abstract

Road insecurity is a major challenge for the international community. The aim of this article is to take stock of the safety of users of soft modes of transport in Grand Lomé. The methodology used in this research is based, on the one hand, on the literature review in order to examine the different theories that govern the analysis of road safety issues and particularly on the safety of vulnerable users of soft modes of transport, and on the other hand, on the analysis of the realities on the ground through surveys and interviews with stakeholders. The results reveal real difficulties in getting around users of active modes of transport on the roads of Grand Lomé. The main roads do not have sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. The sidewalks that exist on some of the new roads are, for the most part, narrow and illegally occupied by businesses, which prevent users of soft modes from benefiting from them. Bike lanes are almost non-existent on the developed lanes. Following this logic, the street belongs first and foremost to motorists. Pedestrians and cyclists are guests who must negotiate their passage on the roads of Grand Lomé.