EVALUATION DU CONFORT BIOCLIMATIQUE DES PASSAGERS DES MINIBUS URBAINS (TOKPA-TOKPA) A COTONOU (BENIN)

Bioclimatic comfort assessment of passengers in informal urban minibuses (tokpa-tokpa) in Cotonou (Benin). Informal collective transport systems represent a major component of daily mobility in West African cities, yet their physical characteristics expose users to severe thermal conditions. In Cotonou, urban minibuses known as tokpa-tokpa are highly vulnerable to climatic constraints because of their metallic body structure, limited thermal insulation, natural ventilation dependence and high passenger density. This study assesses the bioclimatic burden experienced by passengers and transport workers by analysing the combined influence of solar radiation, high humidity and traffic congestion periods. An instrumented observation campaign was conducted on 90 trips distributed across three major transport corridors in the Cotonou metropolitan area: Vedoko-Dantokpa, Etoile Rouge-Godomey and Akpakpa-Dantokpa. GPS-synchronised onboard thermo-hygrometers were used to characterize indoor environmental variations, while 540 passengers and 45 drivers/apprentices participated in thermal perception surveys based on TSV and ASHRAE scales.