TAXIS-MOTOS Ả ABIDJAN : UNE ACTIVITẺ CLANDESTINE EN PLEIN ESSOR MOTORCYCLES TAXIS IN ABIDJAN: A BOOMING CLANDESTINE ACTIVITY

ABSTRACT : Already popular in some Ivorian urban areas, we are now witnessing the rise of taxis – motorcycles deemed illegal in Abidjan, the economic capital. In this study, we undertook to identify the anchoring areas of these activities and then to know the logics that underlie them, through a field survey. It is conducted with 80 participants chosen using the non-probabilistic method and by reasoned choice. The collection of information was done by means of observation and semi-structured interviews. The qualitative analysis of the facts and speeches of the respondents led to a double result: In the first case, it appears that these activities mainly take place in areas not served by conventional public or private public transport (buses, city taxis, communal taxis, mini-buses commonly called gbakas, etc.). In the second, these activities are revealed as being logics of adaptation and social reintegration of young people who have dropped out of school and/or are unemployed on the one hand. And on the other, as a response to the problem of the insufficiency of the road network in the urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Abidjan.

Keywords: Motorcycles taxis, clandestine activity, booming, reintegration, Abidjan.