Abstract Motorcycle taxis (MCT) have been present in many cities of Sub-Saharan Africa for several decades. This paper aims to answer two questions: How can we objectify the massive and lasting development of a “motorcycle taxi model” in the cities of SSA? How does this model function in practice? First, the spread of motorcycle taxis in Sub-Saharan Africa is examined by using an internet-based bibliometric analysis of academic output and local press articles. Second, the functioning of the industry and the informalization rationales at work in the deployment of the motorcycle taxi model are analyzed on the basis of a field study in Lome, the capital of Togo. The bibliometric analysis of the academic output shows the presence of MCT in 14 countries over a 30 year period, and that of the local press almost doubles the number of countries. It also provides some temporal reference points and suggests some reasons for MCT deployment. Three main features of the functioning of the MCT industry in Lome are identified: the equivocal attitude of the State, the heterogeneous characteristics of the players, and the strong and multifaceted linkages of MCT with formal activities. The results from this research provide evidence that the development of the motorcycle taxi model in SSA is closely associated with globalization and informalization processes.

中文翻译：

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寻找显而易见的：撒哈拉以南非洲城市的摩托车出租车服务

摘要 几十年来，摩托出租车 (MCT) 已出现在撒哈拉以南非洲的许多城市。本文旨在回答两个问题：我们如何将“摩托车出租车模式”在 SSA 城市中的大规模和持久发展客观化？这个模型在实践中如何运作？首先，通过使用基于互联网的学术成果和当地新闻文章的文献计量分析，研究了摩托车出租车在撒哈拉以南非洲的传播。其次，在多哥首都洛美进行的实地研究的基础上，分析了该行业的运作以及在部署摩托车出租车模式中发挥作用的非正规化基本原理。学术产出的文献计量分析显示，30 年来，MCT 在 14 个国家/地区存在，当地媒体的数量几乎是国家/地区的两倍。它还提供了一些时间参考点并建议了 MCT 部署的一些原因。确定了洛美 MCT 行业运作的三个主要特征：国家态度模棱两可，参与者的异质特征，以及 MCT 与正式活动的强大和多方面的联系。这项研究的结果提供了证据，证明 SSA 中摩托车出租车模型的发展与全球化和非正规化过程密切相关。