Vulnerability and coping strategies: The experience of public transit users in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

The exacerbated mobility challenges in many developing cities poses great challenges to planners and policy makers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the vulnerability, exposure of public transit users to travel difficulties and their coping strategies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Vulnerability can be defined as exposure to harm and increased risk. Public transit users are generally more vulnerable to physical attack than private car users. The study used primary data which were collected through a survey distributed to 457 respondents. Convenience sampling technique was used to reach respondents. The study used proportions, percentages and cross-tabulation of key variables and binary logistic regression to analyze vulnerability and coping strategies of transit users. The result revealed that coping strategy use is higher among long distance travelers, middle income groups (regular commuters) and females than other groups. Hence, the research emphasis the need to improve the current state of public transit service provision in the city.