[sustran] SUSTRAN News Flash #31

[SUSTRAN Resource Centre]

Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (SUSTRAN)
SUSTRAN News Flashes are produced for the network by
the SUSTRAN Resource Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Phone: +603 274 2590 (or fax on request)
E-mail: <sustran at po.jaring.my>

SUSTRAN News Flash #31                            29 September 1998

CONTENTS
1.       SUSTRAN Web Site
2.       Paper for Symposium on Urban Poverty in Asia
3.       Penang Transport Roundtable
4.       New Philippines Transport NGO
5.       New KL Transit System Wheelchair Accessible
6.       Vietnam shelves road projects
7.       Nanning, China has banned honking
8.       Jakarta Becak Campaign
9.       Road Accidents Outstrip War, HIV Deaths
10.     Malaysian Motorcycle Safety Study
11.     Regional Road Safety Study
12.     Israeli transport policy slammed
13.     Toronto Coroner: Give Bikes Preference
14.     RESOURCES
15.     EVENTS


1. SUSTRAN WEB SITE
SUSTRAN has recently established a simple web site. Visit it at
http://www.geocities.com/Rainforest/Canopy/2853. We will gradually improve
it over the coming year as skills and resources become available.
Suggestions are welcome.

2. PAPER FOR SYMPOSIUM ON URBAN POVERTY IN ASIA
The SUSTRAN Resource Centre has prepared a draft Thematic Background Paper
on "Transport and Urban Poverty in Asia" for the "Regional Symposium on
Urban Poverty in Asia", in Fukuoka, Japan. The paper will be available from
the SUSTRAN Resource Centre when it is finalised. See Events section for
more details on the event.

3. PENANG TRANSPORT ROUNDTABLE
A forum on "Sustainable Transport Option for Penang" was held on 23 August
1998. It was organized by a new local network, Sustainable Transport
Environment Penang (STEP), which promotes urban development and transport
policies that ensure and provide efficient, affordable and equitable access
and mobility to all Penang residents. It opposes the trend of increasing
motor vehicle dependency, while advocating walking, cycling and use of
public transport. It also promotes the rights of pedestrians, bus
commuters, cyclists and people with disabilities to equitable use of public
roads and rights of way and to public safety. [Contact: STEP, c/o
Sustainable Penang Initiative, Socio-Economic & Environmental Institute
(SERI Penang), 110A Persiaran Bukit Jambul, 11900 Penang, Malaysia. Tel:
+60 4 645 1710, Fax: +60 4 645 1807, Email: runding at dct.po.my,
lubisksn at tm.net.my, http://www.seri.com.my/spi/].

4. NEW PHILIPPINES TRANSPORT NGO
A Philippine NGO advocacy network, the Sustainable Transport Network (STN),
has been formed by Manila participants of the SUSTRAN General Assembly in
June, with the objectives of advocating change in policies, plans and
behavior so that transport becomes a contributor rather than a hindrance to
meaningful social progress. The network is to campaign and lobby for
socially and environmentally sustainable transport policies and laws. STN
will support campaigns for pedestrianisation, the promotion of bicycling
and other non-motorized modes as alternatives, better public transport and
broader citizens' participation in transport planning and policy-making in
the Philippines. [Contact: Sam Ferrer, Green Forum Philippines, 14 Malbait
St, Teachers' Village, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines. Tel: +63 2
925 3738, Fax: +63 2 925 3739. Email: GreenFm at phil.gn.apc.org].

5. NEW KL TRANSIT SYSTEM WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
The latest Malaysian light rail transit system, PUTRA, drew approval from
some 200 disabled people who were invited to test out it's
disabled-friendly facilities. They remarked that the move was a landmark
victory for people with disabilities all over the country. Among facilities
to help the disabled are ramps at station entrances, lifts to platform
level, textured floor finishes to guide the blind onto the train and
directional signs for the deaf. Though the facilities were minimal, the
transit system operators have assured that they could expand on them if the
demand was there. [Source: The Sun (Malaysia), August 17, 1998].

6. VIETNAM SHELVES ROAD PROJECTS
Vietnam has shelved 27 state-funded projects to cut costs in anticipation
of an economic downturn. The projects include the trans-Asia road linking
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand and a partially-built 30-km expressway
leading from Hanoi to the future satellite city of Hoa Lac. Also shelved is
the 1,800km North-South Highway. [Source: The Sun (Malaysia), July 31, 1998
- AFP News].

7. NANNING, CHINA HAS BANNED HONKING
With the rapidly growing numbers of cars and motorcycles in China, honking
and noise pollution have become a constant irritation. Every motor vehicle
driver seemed to be constantly leaning on the horn. Elsewhere in China,
drivers honk incessantly, racing around cyclists and pedestrians as if to
say "if you don't get out of my way I'll run you over". But in Nanning,
since drivers cannot honk, they must drive slowly and carefully. A simple
measure, which cost nothing, has made the city more livable. Other cities
are copying Nanning's silent treatment. Last September, a one-month
propaganda campaign was followed by police warnings. Repeat offenders had
to publicly apologise on television. In the following months, over 350 had
their moment of public shame. That had the desired effect. Very few have
received stiff fines. The city is quieter, and the traffic much calmer.
[Source: Car Busters magazine Summer '98.44 rue Bordeau 69001 Lyon, France
Tel: +33 4 72 00 23 57, Fax: +33 4 78 28 57 78, Email:
carbusters at wanadoo.fr, Web: http:www.antenna.nl/eyfa].

8. JAKARTA BECAKS
Activists in Jakarta have launched a campaign to readmit the "becak" into
Jakarta after almost 10 years of being banned. Becak are Indonesia's
version of the pedicab or three-wheel non-motorised taxi. In late June, NGO
activists met with the Governor of Jakarta, Mr Sutiyoso, and negotiated
with him on how to find low-cost solutions to transportation problems in
the context of the economic crisis.
        As a result, the Governor immediately announced that becak would be
allowed back into Jakarta, although only in special areas and only for the
duration of the economic crisis. The primary stated aim was to help provide
employment and to solve the problems of the poor. Within days more than
1000 becak and their operators had arrived from other parts of Java and had
begun to operate in Jakarta. Unfortunately, the governor had forgotten that
it would first be necessary to revoke the Regional Act/Regulation on the
Prohibition of Becak Operation in the Jakarta Area (Perda no. 11/1988).
Bowing to pressure from Jakarta's city council and lawyers he felt
compelled to cancel his promise to readmit becak into the city on 1 July
        This led to an uproar because the readmission of the becak was very
popular with the general public and becak drivers themselves. And the
number of becak in the city had already exceeded 2000. On 8 July several
NGOs, becak drivers and supporters protested against the ban at the city
council . The councillors in turn asked the activists to provide more proof
that the community at large supported pedicabs in the city. Results from an
opinion poll conducted on 16 - 17 July 1998, found that 860 of the 1000
respondents supported the readmission of becak into Jakarta.
        Since then, the NGOs have been mapping the five municipalities in
Jakarta to demonstrate which areas are suitable for becak for further
discussions with the governor and the regional parliament of Jakarta.
[Contact: Abdul Hakim, LPIST, Jalan Pondok Bambu Asri Blok A, 11/20,
Jakarta 13430 Indonesia Tel: +62 21 8616715, Fax: +62 21 861 0942, Email:
lpist at indo.net.id].

9. ROAD ACCIDENTS OUTSTRIP WAR, HIV DEATHS
Road accidents will kill or disable more people than war, tuberculosis or
HIV by 2020, the International Red Cross said in its annual disaster
report. Astrid Noklebye Heiberg, president of the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told a news conference in Delhi
that traffic accidents caused at least 500,000 deaths every year. Traffic
accidents would become the third largest cause of disability and premature
death after clinical depression and heart disease and way ahead of war or
HIV which gain more attention. Around 15 million were estimated to be
injured in accidents, mostly the poor and the young. Fatality rates ranged
from about 180 deaths per 10,000 vehicles annually in Ethiopia and 82
deaths in Nepal to 1.9 for Australia and Japan. Heiberg pointed out that
traffic accidents "already cost the South almost as much as all the aid
they receive". Red Cross has launched several programmes to minimise the
effects of accidents. Engineering - from car design to street lights - was
far more effective in curbing the number of road crashes than efforts to
change driver behaviour. [Source: AFP News, June 24 1998].

10. MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE SAFETY STUDY
According to a study by the Road Safety Research Center of University Putra
Malaysia, motorcyclists constitute about 60 percent of traffic fatalities
in Malaysia and their risk of injury is estimated to be 20 times higher
than that of car passengers. "The majority of motorcyclists are victims
because they are not seen by other road users. As such, improving their
conspicuity may reduce their exposure to accidents", study director Assoc.
Prof. Radin Umar said. "The corporate sector can help by providing their
riders with fluorescent clothing as it will, in turn, help save the company
hefty medical bills and insurance claims from accidents." Improper use of
helmets was a further problem as only 55 percent using their helmets
properly - the others did not strap it or strapped it loosely. [Source: The
Sun newspaper, June 14 1998, p. 20; Contact: Assoc. Professor Radin Umar.
Road Safety Research Center, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400,
Selangor, Malaysia].

11. REGIONAL ROAD SAFETY STUDY
The ASEAN Ministers of Transport Working Committee has commissioned a
comprehensive study on road safety and related issues. The study will cover
all aspects of road safety features including road conditions, accident
rates and recording systems of road accidents in ASEAN. Road accidents in
Malaysia resulting in property damage, injury or fatality are estimated to
cost an annual economic loss of RM7 billion (US$1.8 billion). The study is
expected to be completed by early next year. [Source: The Sun (Malaysia),
Sept 16, 1998].

12. ISRAELI TRANSPORT POLICY SLAMMED
Speaking at a seminar on Israeli - Palestinian transport, Dr. Yaacov Garb,
of the Hebrew University, and Dr. Jad Isaac, Director General of the
Applied Research Institute in Bethlehem, harshly criticized current trends
in transportation planning and policy in Israel. The number of vehicles on
the country's roads were dramatically on the rise while the use of public
transport was rapidly declining. Car- based transport was competing with
more sustainable alternatives for funds, passengers and land use patterns.
Road No 6, the Trans -Israel Highway was cited as a critical example of
misplaced priorities. By-pass roads were creating a salad out of the West
Bank, isolating Palestinian towns and villages from one another and
creating for Israel both an internal and external security belt. Instead of
integrating Israeli and Palestinian transport, the Israeli policy created
transport apartheid on the roads. Many of the By-pass roads were accessible
to Israeli yellow plate cars only and Palestinian cars were categorically
excluded from entering Israel. "Palestinians now associate new roads with
an attempt to create political boundaries, with confiscation of land, with
demolition of houses and with fragmentation of their future state.
[Contact: Rimah Al-Kurd, Tel: +972-2-6260841/3, Fax: +972-2-6260840, Email:
ecopeace at netvision.net.il, Web site: http://www.ecopeace.net].

13. TORONTO CORONER: GIVE BIKES PREFERENCE
The Regional Coroner of Toronto, Dr. William Lucas has recommended changing
Canada's Highway Traffic Act to give cyclists precedence over drivers. In a
report reviewing 38 Toronto cycling deaths over an 11- year period, he
recommended "side guards" for large trucks and buses to prevent cyclists
from being crushed under rear wheels. The report offered only limited
support for bicycle helmets, noting studies showing limited reduction in
deaths or injuries and finding that compulsory helmet laws might discourage
cycling. The report's emphasis on motorist responsibility to reduce danger
to bicycle riders is a big departure from the usual cyclist-blaming
philosophy. [Source: Toronto Star].

14. RESOURCES

a. "IBF News" contains news on bicycle initiatives and advocacy from around
the world. Available on paper or as an email newsletter. IBF also has a
very useful web site and produces the "Cycle & Recycle Calendar" which
celebrates the bicycle as an everyday transportation vehicle, in every
season, throughout the world. [Contact: David Mozer, International Bicycle
Fund, 4887 Columbia Drive South, Seattle, WA 98108-1919, USA. Tel & Fax: +1
206 767 0848, Email: ibike at ibike.org., web site: http:// www.ibike.org].

b. " CAR BUSTERS" - a new, entertaining and irreverent European-based
magazine that attacks car culture mercilessly. [Contact: CAR BUSTERS
Magazine & Resource Centre, 44 rue Burdeau, 69001 Lyon, France. Tel: +33 4
72 00 23 57, fax: +33 4 78 28 57 7, Email: carbusters at wanadoo.fr].

c. Proceedings of the "1998 International Conference on Traffic and
Transportation Studies" held at Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing.
[Contact: Charlotte McNaughton, Manager, Book Production, Tel: +1 703 295
6241, Fax: +1 703 295 6278, Email: cmcnaughton at asce.org].

d. "Urban Mobility Professional", an electronic newsletter. [Contact: Cindy
Kerckhoffs, Editor/Information Manager, Urban Mobility Network P.O. Box 917
6200 AX Maastricht The Netherlands. Tel: +31 43 3213022, Fax. +31 43
3211062, http://www.mobility-net.com/ump].

 e. "Poverty and Transport" paper by Colin A. Gannon and Zhi Liu of the
World Bank's Transport Division, outlines the relationship between
transport, poverty, and the World Bank's policies and processes. [Contact:
Transport Water and Urban Development Department, The World Bank, 1818 H
St, N.W Washington, DC 20433, Tel: +1 202 473 3948, Fax: +1 2020 522 3223,
Web site: http://www.worldbank.org].

f. "Rail Fact Sheets" a series of fact sheets on rail industry and road
reforms in Australasia published by the Australasian Railway Association.
[Contact: Australasian Railway Association Inc., Level 3, 20 Queen Street,
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 PO Box 266, Collins St West, Melbourne, Victoria
8007, Australia. Tel: +61 3 96145162, Fax: 03 96145514].

g. "Rail Directions"  newsletter on rail in Australia. [Contact: Mark
Carter, Rail 2000 Inc., PO Box 8229, Adelaide Station Arcade, SA 5000,
Australia. Tel: +61 8 84100024, Fax: 08 82124441, Email:
rail2000 at adelaide.on.net, Web: http://www.users.on.net/rail2000].

h. "The PR Plot To Overheat The Earth", article from Earth Island Journal
(Spring 1998) by Sheldon Rampton and Bob Burton on how fuel companies,
automobile makers and other large-scale producers of greenhouses gases use
PR firms and front groups to downplay the threat of climate change.
[Contact: PR Watch, Centre for Media & Democracy, 3318 Gregory St, Madison
WI 53711, USA. Tel: +1 608 233 3346, Fax: +1 608 233 2236, Third World
Network Features, Web: http://www.twnside.org.sg].

i. "Water Watch" - A Community Action Guide/Sourcebook of water facts
compiled by Abdur Razzaq Lubis. [Contact: WaterWatch Asia project, c/o
Janus Print & Resources, 120 Armenian Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia. Tel:
+60 4 2633985, Fax: +60 4 2633970, Email: lubisksn at tm.net.my].

j. "Urban Transportation Development and Management in Singapore" by Lim
Lan Yuan and Belinda Yuen, UMP-Asia Occasional Paper No.38, published by
UMP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. [Contact: Urban Management
Programme, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang,
Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. Tel: 66 2 5245779 or 5246205, Fax: 66 2
5245778, Email: ump at ait.ac.th].

k. "Integration of Non-Motorised Transport in the Urban Transport System of
Dhaka, Bangladesh" report by R.A. Gallagher for UN-ESCAP. [Contact:
Transport, Communications & Tourism Division, UN-ESCAP, UN Building,
Rajadamnern Avenue Bangkok 10200 Thailand. Tel: +66 2 282 9603, 288 1371,
288 1234, ext.1371, Fax: +66 2 280 6042].

l. "Intermediate Means of Transport" regional seminar proceedings by Sri
Lanka National Forum on Rural Transport. [Contact: Ranjith de Silva, ITDG
Sri Lanka, 5 Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha, Kirulapone, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka.
Email: ranjith at itdg.lanka.net].

m. "Alternative Transport Fuel Investment Opportunities in Bangkok,
Thailand" (September 1997), "Alternative Transport Fuel Investment
Opportunities in Manila, Philippines". (September 1997), by the IIEC
Sustainable Transport Program. [Contact: IIEC Publications Department, 750
First St., NE, Suite 940, Washington, DC 20002, USA. Tel: +1 202 842 3388,
Fax: +1 202 842 1565, Email: iiec at digex.net, Web: http://www.iiec.org].

n. "Making the Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality Connection - LUTRAQ",
a project to challenge auto-based transportation projects and
auto-dependent development patterns in Portland, Oregon. LUTRAQ created an
alternative land-use and transportation plan for Washington County, Oregon,
published research on the impacts of pedestrian-friendly design, and
produced a set of design and zoning guidelines for transit- oriented
development. Technical reports and a series of publications available.
[Contact: LUTRAQ, 1000 Friends of Oregon, 534 SW Third, Suite 300,
Portland, OR97204,USA. Email: LUTRAQ at friends.org.].

o.  A few more web sites.
* The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) is an NGO
that works to promote non-motorised transport and sustainable transport
policies worldwide: http://www.itdp.org

* Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) conducts research into
transportation economic analysis, particularly full-cost accounting and
evaluation of alternative travel modes: http://www.islandnet.com/~litman

* Smogbusters is an Australian organisation that focuses on
transport-related air-pollution:
http://www.powerup.com.au/~qccqld/smogbusters,
http://www.environment.gov.au/portfolio/epg/smoggy/smogbusters.html

* Urban Environmental Management Online library:
http://www.soc.titech.ac.jp/uem/

* "The RCPLA Network (Resource Centres for Participatory Planing and
Action)": http://www.nur.edu/rcpla/

* The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in the UK: http://www.trl.co.uk

* Information and Advisory Service on Appropriate Technology - ISAT offers
support for North-South transfer and South-South exchange of technological
knowledge: http://gate.gtz.de/isat/HP_isat.html

* The UTSG web page (for the utsg academic transport discussion list:
http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/utsg/

15. EVENTS

"Great Millennium Peaceride".  This began on Thursday, August 6, 1998 at
Westlake Park in Seattle, USA. Bicycle riders from many nations are
participating in the 17-month, 20,000-mile journey spanning four-continents
to foster common human values, call attention to the hope of ordinary
people, all over the globe, for an end to political conflict and a true
commitment to world peace in the new millennium, and to promote the bicycle
as the most healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport.
[Contact: Sigitas Kucas, Email: sigitas at gmpr.lt, or the International
Bicycle Fund, see contact in the Resources section above].

 "CODATU VIII (8th World Conference on the Development and Planning of
Urban and Peri-urban Transport)", Cape Town, South Africa, (September
21-25). [Contact: Codatu VIII Web site: http://www.transport.gov.za].

"Regional Symposium on Urban Poverty in Asia ", in Fukuoka, Japan, October
27-29, 1998. Organised by United Nations Centre for Regional Development
(UNCRD), United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) Habitat
(Fukuoka Office for the Asia and Pacific Region), and the Regional Office
for Asia of the Urban Management Programme (UMP Asia). [Contact:
Hendropranoto Suselo, UNCRD, Nagano 1-47-1, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 450, Japan.
Fax: +81 52 5619375, email: hmatsui at uncrd.or.jp].

"Transporting Development: Alleviating poverty by access to basic needs and
services" seminar on Thursday November 5, 1998, Institution of Civil
Engineers Great George St, Westminster, London, [Contact: IFRTD
Secretariat, 2nd Floor, 150 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5AL Tel: +44 171
278 3670 Fax: +44 171 278 6880, Email: ifrtd at gn.apc.org,
priyanthi.fernando at mcmail.com].

"The International Symposium on the Sustainable City and the Bicycle:
Towards the Ecological Reconversion of Urban Transportation", November
24-28, 1998. Palmira, Colombia,
[Contact: Information and Registration, Cra 36A No. 5B1-54, or Apdo. Aereo
2741 Cali, Colombia. Tel: +57 2 5585002 / 57-2-5567519 E-mail:
fipma at emcali.net.co, borrero at colombianet.net].

"United Nations Regional Roundtable on Transportation Energy Efficiency and
Sustainable Development ", February 1-5, 1999, Abu-Dhabi. [Contact: Ayad M.
Hussain, DC1. Rm 856, Energy and Transport Branch, Division for Sustainable
Development, Department for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations,
One UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017. Tel: +1 212 963 8759, Fax: +1 212 963
4340].

"The VI Congress Metropolis '99", March 16 to 19, Barcelona, Spain.
[Contact: Organising Committee Secretariat, Carrer 62, num. 16-18, Zona
Franca, 08040 Barcelona, Spain. Tel: +34 932 235 151 (ext.2242), Fax: +34
932 235 13. Email: metropolis99 at amb.es].

"World Conference On Model Cities", April 19-21,1999, Raffles City
Convention Centre, Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza, Singapore. [Contact:
Institute of Policy Studies, Hon Sui Sen Memorial, Library Building, Kent
Ridge P.O. Box 1088, Singapore 911103. Tel: +65 7792633, Fax: +65
7751350/7770700, Email: mcsing99 at pacific.net.sg, Web:
http://www.ura.gov.sg/wcmc.html].


Written and compiled by A. Rahman Paul Barter and Sreela Kolandai.

The Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN)
is dedicated to promoting transport policies and investments that foster
accessibility for all; social equity; ecological sustainability; health and
safety; public participation; and high quality of life.

We rely on you, the participants in the network, for our news. Thank you to
everyone who has sent material. Please keep it coming. We welcome brief
news and announcements from all over the world.