[sustran] yet more on motorcycles and congestion

[Eric Bruun]

If motorcycle and moped use in developing countries constitutes
a "social trap", what about car use? Far fewer people benefit
and it uses precious foreign exchange to buy fuel and luxury
autos for an elite in all too many cases.

Also, who has encouraged this "social trap" besides the obvious
elite that don't have to worry about public investment for
public transportation, threats to their priviledged use of 
roads, etc.? The World Bank, IMF, etc., have also
contributed to this, by favoring roads over rail and busways,
and until recently dismissing public transit infrastructure as 
a waste of money, recommending instead that it be left to the 
private operators running in mixed traffic.  We need only go 
to Bangkok or Lagos to see the results of this policy when
carried to its logical conclusion..... 

It is no coincidence that mopeds and motorcyles appear en masse 
in places like Bangkok or Taipei where economic growth happens 
quickly, but public investment in public transportation is delayed for
years, if not decades.

Eric Bruun