Putting the Passenger First: What Works and What does not Work in Urban Mobility Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin American and Caribbean region offers a rich history of innovative policies and investments in urban mobility. We review some of these experiences with the aim of extracting lessons that can provide guidance to policymakers in the design and implementation of successful urban transport reforms. Special emphasis is placed on users' welfare and how different policies impinge on their interests and behavior. Many reforms have faced difficulties by not considering the consequences of policy initiatives on users' welfare, especially their impact on time costs. Another relevant theme discussed in this document is that modern high-quality transit systems are expensive and fare revenues will generally not be sufficient to fund an ambitious reform. If public funds are not available, it is advisable to reduce the scope and scale of reform. Fortunately, there are many low-cost options to improve urban mobility. Furthermore, some pricing policies can improve mobility while raising revenues at the same time; resources that can then be used to subsidize transit services. While the optimal policy package will depend on the specific circumstances of each city and the available funding, what cannot be overlooked is the interest of users and passengers. Policymakers must always place themselves in their shoes and think through how their intended intervention will affect their travel experience, time and financial cost.