Motorcycle taxi drivers in Lima, Peru and the "modern city" that intends to ban them

Abstract

There are roughly 1 million mototaxistas (motorcycle taxi drivers) in Perú, representing one out of every 33 people in the country. While mototaxistas can drive throughout many Peruvian cities, Lima's 43 districts range from outright bans to transit systems dominated by mototaxis (motorcycle taxis). Notably, mototaxis are either scarce or absent in Lima’s middle- and upper-class districts. Real estate developers and public officials often describe these areas as examples of the "modern city," a loaded term that implies proximity to wealth, whiteness, and/or "the West." This photo essay aims to critically document a key moment in two "modern city" projects: "Lima moderna," which includes middle-class districts like San Miguel and Magdalena del Mar, and "Lima Top," a self-proclaimed nickname for the richest districts in the city. By suggesting that "modern city" narratives impact the governance of the mototaxi economy and more widespread borderization—the process of producing certain spaces as impassable for certain racialized and economically-exploited people (Mbembe 2019)—this photo essay sheds light on discursive and material projects that are redefining urban space in Perú.