Mode of Transport and Inequity in a Least Developed Country: The Case of Vientiane, Lao PDR

Abstract

In 1986, Laos opened its doors to the global market. With new economic policy mechanisms in place, the country has developed dramatically over the years. The rapid growth brought forth opportunities as well as challenges. This study analyzes traffic congestion in Vientiane, the capital, with a focus on transport mode choices and inequity among commuters. Due to the lack of a reliable database in Laos, the initial step entailed collecting a set of origin–destination data. A total of 498 samples were randomly processed in the data survey, consisting of personal data, household conditions, and travel behaviors. To identify the flow of transport and mode choices, descriptive analysis and a multilevel logit model were employed. The findings reveal the insufficiency of public transit in Vientiane. The preferred modes of transport are motorbikes and private cars. Commuters who use private cars lie in the higher income group, while the low-income group consists of residents who use motorbikes. In addition, the low-income group takes longer to commute as compared to the high-income group. Overall, the lack of public mode choices encourages the use of private cars, leading to critical inequality between low and high-income groups.

Narrative Insights Reveal the Motivations of Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs in Laos

“…Laos is largely rural [29,30], with the youngest population in Asia [31] and is in transition to a more commercial agriculture sector [32,33] with three dominant commercial farming modalities: concessions, contract farming and small-investor farming. Development policies have prioritized large-scale investment over small-scale agriculture [6,34,35], with the smallholder scheme receiving the least support from the government compared with other schemes [36], despite the potential contribution the commercialization of smallholder agriculture leading to livelihood development.…”

Perceptions of the Institutional and Support Environment amongst Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs in Laos

“…Like many developing countries, Laos has a very large proportion of youth [13] and, in particular, rural youth [14]. Improving entrepreneurship education, employment opportunities, education in rural areas, and youth voice in decision-making are all needed in order to improve livelihood outcomes for young generations [13,15,16].…”

“…Like many developing countries, Laos has a very large proportion of youth [13] and, in particular, rural youth [14]. Improving entrepreneurship education, employment opportunities, education in rural areas, and youth voice in decision-making are all needed in order to improve livelihood outcomes for young generations [13,15,16]. Our findings and other research indicate that further improvement could be made in the areas of agricultural information and extension services, financial support, infrastructure, promotion of agricultural careers, taxation and registration systems, policy implementation, and research and development.…”

“…Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Laos) has the youngest population in Asia, with a median age of 23 [13]. Despite being a rapidly urbanizing country, 64% of the population lives in rural areas [14].…”

“…Despite being a rapidly urbanizing country, 64% of the population lives in rural areas [14]. Similar to other developing countries, Lao youth are facing limited employment opportunities, limited education in rural areas, a lack of voice in decision-making, and a mismatch between youth workforce skills and the workforce market demand [13,15]. This lack of choices traps youth in a poverty cycle, as they remain in non-remunerated or subsistence-level work [15].…”