Evacuation of Vulnerable Populations: The Lima BRT Case

Meza-Arakaki S.B.; Toledo-Livia C.; De la Melena-Cortez S.A.; Llanos-Rosales A.; Salas-Vanini D.; Vargas-Florez J. · Proceedings of the LACCEI international Multi-conference for Engineering, Education and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.18687/laccei2026.1.1.1559

Resumen

his study proposes improvements to evacuation processes for vulnerable populations-including older adults, persons with physical, visual, or sensory disabilities, wheelchair users, pregnant women, and individuals with temporary mobility limitations-during ordinary accident and disruption scenarios in Lima's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, known as the Metropolitano. The research addresses the increased exposure of these users in high-demand corridors, where congestion, limited accessibility infrastructure, and insufficient operational protocols can delay evacuation and increase safety risks. Methodologically, the study adopts an exploratory qualitative case-study approach based on a structured documentary review of scientific literature, technical reports, and institutional sources related to evacuation planning, humanitarian logistics, accessibility, and emergency management in public transportation systems. The review was used to build an analytical matrix linking real cases, operational problems, key insights, and proposed logistics improvements. In addition, the proposal was validated through a structured survey administered to six experts in transportation systems, emergency management, operations, and accessibility, using a five-point Likert scale. The findings identify three priority areas for improvement: real-time data governance and passenger-flow management, resilient and redundant accessibility infrastructure, and inclusive multisensory communication and assistance mechanisms. Expert validation showed high agreement, with most indicators scoring above 4.0 and 100% of experts classifying the framework as validated with minor adjustments, supporting its practical relevance for safer and more inclusive BRT evacuation planning.