# Effects of an urban cable car intervention on quality of life: an observational, quasi-experimental study in Bogotá, Colombia (TrUST)

## TL;DR

A study in Bogotá found that a cable car system improved quality of life for women in a low-income area, but not for men.

## Contribution

This study provides evidence that urban transport interventions can enhance quality of life for women in low-income settlements in Global South cities.

## Key findings

- Among females in the intervention area, quality of life and general health improved significantly after the cable car implementation.
- Males in the intervention area did not show significant changes in quality of life or general health compared to the control group.
- The findings suggest transport interventions can contribute to sustainable development goals by improving well-being in marginalized communities.

## Abstract

There is little evidence about the relationships between transport interventions and quality of life in low-income settlements in Global South cities. The aim was to assess the effects of the TransMiCable cable car intervention on quality of life in males and females in a low-income settlement in Bogotá, Colombia.

The Urban Transformations and Health (TrUST) natural experiment was conducted between 2018 and 2020 in intervention and control neighbourhoods. Overall quality of life, general health, and specific domains of quality of life were assessed in adults before and after the implementation of the TransMiCable using the World Health Organization's quality of life brief questionnaire. Adjusted multilevel linear regression models were used to estimate the effects on outcomes.

Before the inauguration of TransMiCable, 2052 participants (1289 [62.8%] females and 763 [37.2%] males; mean age 43.5 years [SD 17.7]) completed the questionnaire. Analyses included 825 participants in the intervention group (80% of the baseline sample) and 854 participants in the control group (84% of the baseline sample) who completed the follow-up. Among females in the intervention area, there was an increase in quality of life (adjusted β for the time-by-group interaction, intervention vs. control: 5.81 points [95% CI: 2.47, 9.14]), and general health (adjusted β for the time-by-group interaction: 5.49 points [2.07, 8.92). Among males, quality of life and general health changes were not different in the intervention and control groups.

Transport interventions, such as TransMiCable, could have meaningful impacts on the quality of life of women in low-income areas, promoting the achievement of sustainable development goals and improving well-being. A community-based, multisectoral approach is essential to designing integrated mobility policies that reflect the diverse needs of urban communities in the Global South.

10.13039/100010269Wellcome Trust (as part of the Urban Health in Latin America project); Bogotá Urban Planning Department; Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Colombia; 10.13039/501100006070Universidad de Los Andes; Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá; and 10.13039/501100004245Universidad del Norte.