Economy
For Lima, There's No Simple Path to Re-Regulating Public Transportation
The city's historic transport free-for-all is starting to change, but a lot of people could get left behind.
Even among South American cities, Lima is infamous for its traffic issues. Chaotic congestion, high rates of fatalities, and a deregulated, confusing transportation network are all hallmarks of the Peruvian capital's urban landscape.
It’s hard to understate the scope of the problem, portrayed vividly by the Discovery Chanel in an episode of "Don't Drive Here." In the first three months of this year, traffic collisions in Lima caused 290 deaths and another 260 wounded. Discovery estimated that for every 100 vehicles on the road in Lima, 2.7 people will die. Rush hour crawls along at just over 6 miles per hour.