Speed traps: on the turbulent logics of the platformed motorcycle

Mallett, Richard (2025) Speed traps: on the turbulent logics of the platformed motorcycle. Urban Geography. ISSN 0272-3638

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Abstract

Motorcycle-taxis are one of the fastest ways to get around Kampala, Uganda, but they are also the most dangerous. Over the past decade, digital ride-hailing platforms have emerged on the city’s streets as a self-styled solution to dangerous working conditions and low earnings in the sector, promising a dual transformation of both livelihoods and safety standards. In this article, I draw on an analysis of speed and the forces that shape it to critically explore the ways in which concerted safety initiatives combine with the precarious logics of the platform economy to produce what I term a “speed trap” – a frenetic, incoherent set of circumstances that push and pull informal transport workers in different directions by compelling slowness and recklessness at the same time. As a result, ride-hailing emerges as a risky vehicle for road safety reform and an ambiguous addition to (already) high-risk urban infrastructure.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
Date Deposited:	24 Mar 2025 16:12
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 16:03
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/127625

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