School Transportation and Its Impacts on Caregivers in The Bahamas

Lynn Scholl, Orlando Sabogal-Cardona, Daniel Oviedo, Camila Casas-Cortes and Llando Chea

No 14445, IDB Publications (Working Papers) from Inter-American Development Bank

Abstract: In Nassau, The Bahamas, ensuring children's access to school carries significant implications for the wellbeing of both children and their caregivers. This study investigates these impacts, examining how challenges and the burdens associated with school transportation affect caregivers' labour market participation, time use, and overall well-being, particularly for women who constitute 83% of our sample. We adopt a mixed-methods approach, drawing on qualitative insights from interviews and focus groups, complemented by descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis of survey data from 477 caregivers. Our findings reveal significant impacts: school transport duties constrain caregivers' ability to work, forcing adaptations like reduced hours, job changes, tardiness, or requests for flexibility, while simultaneously fragmenting daily time budgets and limiting opportunities for rest or self-care. Caregivers, especially women and those with disabilities, report considerable physical and mental stress, although many still value the commute as family or activity time. High anxiety about childrens safety during commutes further compounds these burdens. While potential solutions like group walking and school bus services garner interest, particularly among car-less households, significant concerns about safety and supervision, especially regarding gender-based violence, hinder widespread acceptance. This paper underscores the profound, often gendered, consequences of inadequate school transport systems, highlighting the urgent need for supportive, co-produced policies that address logistical challenges and caregiver well-being to foster more equitable access to education and opportunities.

Keywords: School mobility; Caregiver; labor participation; Time use; Well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 I28 R40 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-12
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:idb:brikps:14445

DOI: 10.18235/0013860

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