Can Mobility as a Service be a solution to the mobility needs and challenges of women in low- and middle-income urban households: A case study of Oshodi-Isolo, Lagos

The thesis examines women's mobility as complex and multi-purpose, recognising the movement of goods as an integral dimension of women’s everyday mobility, particularly among traders in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women's mobility practices are influenced by transport inadequacies and intersectional factors such as age, income, and race, which shape their mobility experiences and access to opportunities.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS), an emerging model that integrates multiple modes of transport into a single interface, has been proposed as a solution to urban mobility challenges. However, existing studies remain largely passenger-centric and assume predictable travel patterns, overlooking the realities of informal, goods-centred, and adaptive mobility practices that characterise women’s daily experiences, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This study investigates whether MaaS could address the mobility needs and challenges of women in low- and middle-income urban households, using Oshodi-Isolo in Lagos as a case study. It adopts a qualitative approach, combining interviews with technical experts and women, alongside participatory co-design workshops with women. These workshops included the use of a novel MaaS game to support the design of the mobility solutions. The Capability Approach provides the guiding theoretical framework.

The study revealed that recognising goods movement as an integral part of women’s mobility enables MaaS to support women and goods mobility through combined passenger and goods movement and separate goods travel (return leg), with considerations for trust. Furthermore, the study developed a Gender Transformative MaaS model for women in Lagos.

These findings challenge the following assumptions:
1. Mobility is not only passenger-centric but also ‘passenger plus goods’.
2. Integration is not universally beneficial, and flexibility is a fundamental prerequisite for women's mobility.
3. Safety designs should move from a reactive to an anticipatory approach.
4. Convenience is not inherent in informal transport; it is actively acquired.

This study contributes to transport policy and MaaS developers.