Struggles for Sustainable Urban Development in Cochabamba, Bolivia

The way things stand severely hinders the possibility of bringing sustainable economic,
social, and environmental development to the whole population. It appears that a self-
interested minority holds considerable power in the transport policy process. Making the
different parties work for common objectives appears a distant possibility. Although the
defiance of public transport drivers has contributed to the chaotic state of transport and lack
of legitimacy of regulations, this has certainly not been their intent. Surely they would wish
for a well functioning urban transport system as well. According to Eckstein (2001)
acknowledging the difference between the outcome and intent of defiance is a serious
shortcoming in the literature. She also points out that:
…the subordinate position of the politically and economically weak limits their
ability both to understand the full ramifications of their actions and to counter
the power of superordinate groups, including groups they had not envisioned
would be of consequence.
In this sense, the drivers who operate public transport in order to avoid unemployment
might not see (or be willing to see) the full consequences of their actions. Of course,
according to this analysis they are not politically weak, although they might feel so as
individuals.
Government performance and legitimacy
A lot of the urban transport problems can be contributed to the inability of the
government to efficiently control the system. This again can be traced back to the
performance of government institutions. The general view within the World Bank and other
aid agencies is that weak institutions are the primary reason behind poor transport
performance (Armstrong-Wright 1993). According to Los Tiempos (October 11, 2002), the
head of the provincial government (Prefecto) Gustavo Vargas argued that the incapacity and
negligence of municipal authorities are behind 60 per cent of social problems in
26