Public Transport and inequality in Corrientes: Strategies for sustainable mobility

Abstract

This article analyzes how the historical disjunction between the formal urban planning of Corrientes (Argentina), an intermediate city of 439,270 inhabitants according to the 2022 Census (INDEC), and the operational configuration of its Public Transport System reproduces socio-spatial inequalities. The general objective is to identify the mechanisms generating such disjunction and to propose sustainable mobility strategies oriented toward territorial equity. Methodologically, a documentary-analytical design integrates four components: (i) policy frameworks —New Urban Agenda (NUA) and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) methodology in its four phases and twelve steps—; (ii) technical handbooks (APTA; TCRP 90/183) for bus priority and pedestrian accessibility; (iii) local and regional academic evidence on radial network structure and discontinuities; and (iv) the monthly operational data series published by the Ombudsman's Office (June–December 2025) as a performance thermometer. The main findings identify four mechanisms reproducing inequality: radial-concentric structure penalizing peripheries; non-entry to informal settlements and deficient last-mile; non-accessible stop environments; and fragmented governance with insufficient metrics. Operational evidence shows a high share of the Free Student Pass (61–70% of monthly total), signaling system dependence on subsidies and the urgency of combining affordability with accessibility and reliability improvements to expand the paying demand base. It concludes that effectively translating regulation into operations —under data-driven governance and ex ante/ex post evaluation— is a necessary condition to reduce territorial penalties and expand urban opportunities, providing a replicable script for intermediate cities of Northeastern Argentina and Latin America.