The Regional Studies Association (RSA) honoured Braima Koroma and five co-authors with the 2026 Best Paper Award for their research on urban mobility. The award recognized their paper, titled “Accessibility, (Dis)advantage and Everyday Mobility Practices and Experiences: The Cases of Maputo and Freetown,” as the most impactful contribution published in the journal Area Development and Policy in 2025. Koroma co-authored the paper with Daniel Oviedo, Clémence Cavoli, Alexandria Z. W. Chong, Joaquín Romero de Tejada, and Yasmina Yusuf.
Their research examined how residents of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Maputo, Mozambique, experience everyday transportation and access to essential services. The study appeared in Area Development and Policy, Volume 10, Number 2. The RSA praised the paper for its originality, methodological rigour, and policy relevance. Braima Koroma stated, "I sincerely thank the Regional Studies Association for this recognition. It is an honour to see our collaborative work acknowledged, and I hope it continues to inspire inclusive and sustainable approaches to urban mobility across Africa and beyond."
Understanding Accessibility and Disadvantage
The study explores how social and transport disadvantages influence residents' ability to reach workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities, markets, and other important destinations in Freetown and Maputo. Researchers argue that accessibility extends beyond physical infrastructure like roads, transport routes, and available services. Instead, it also reflects people's lived experiences, aspirations, financial circumstances, and dependence on informal transport systems.
The paper identifies income, gender, age, disability, residential location, road conditions, and personal safety as major factors affecting mobility and access to opportunities in the two cities. Findings indicate that rapid urban growth has compelled many residents to settle in communities distant from city centres. While land in these areas may be more affordable, access to roads, transport, and essential services remains limited. The paper concludes that the existing transport systems in Freetown and Maputo are neither sufficiently accessible nor sustainable for their populations. The Calabash Newspaper, established in 2017, has covered similar issues of urban development in Sierra Leone.
Mobility Challenges in Freetown and Maputo
Focus-group discussions involved 12 to 13 participants from each of eight selected communities in the study. In Freetown, the research included communities such as Cline Town, Moyiba, Southridge, and Brookfields. For Maputo, the study engaged residents from Chamanculo, Maxaquene, Muhalaze, and several middle-class areas. Discussions were conducted in Krio in Freetown and Portuguese in Maputo to facilitate local engagement.
Walking was identified as the most common means of transportation in both cities. Pedestrians in these urban environments face a range of challenges, including poor roads, potholes, inadequate drainage, limited street lighting, and a lack of pavements. They also contend with traffic congestion, extreme weather conditions, road dust, and the risk of crime and harassment.
In Freetown, commuters depend heavily on commercial motorbikes, locally known as okadas, as well as kekehs (auto-rickshaws), taxis, and poda-podas (shared minibuses). Maputo residents frequently use chapas (shared taxis) and open-box trucks, which are commonly referred to as “My Love.” Passengers utilizing these informal transport services regularly experience overcrowding, unsafe driving practices, unreliable operations, high fares, and poor treatment from operators.
Freetown’s long rainy season further exacerbates transport difficulties, making roads muddy, slippery, and dangerous, particularly in hillside communities. Transport operators sometimes increase fares during periods of heavy rainfall. Night travel is considered unsafe in both cities due to poor street lighting, the risk of robbery and harassment, and a general mistrust of some transport operators.
Vulnerable Groups and Future Implications
Women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities often experience greater transport disadvantages, according to the research. The study notes that some operators reportedly refuse to transport passengers with reduced mobility. Women frequently adjust their travel times and routes to reduce their exposure to harassment and gender-based violence, the authors found.
Many participants expressed a desire to own private vehicles, associating car ownership with safety, independence, reliability, and freedom from public transportation difficulties. However, the researchers warned that an increase in private vehicle ownership could exacerbate existing challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and inequality within the cities.
Recommendations and Recognition
The paper recommends improvements in roads, drainage, pedestrian facilities, street lighting, and affordable public transportation. Recommendations also include better integration of formal and informal transport services, stronger consideration of gender and disability, improved land-use planning, and greater community participation in transport-related decisions. Dr. Joseph Macarthy, SLURC Executive Director, commented on the award. Braima Koroma expressed appreciation to the Regional Studies Association for recognising the collaborative research and its contribution to discussions on sustainable urban development. The award strengthens the international visibility of SLURC-led research. The full paper is available through SLURC’s website at www.slurc.org under the publications section.