[sustran] fwd: CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN - no. 11 - August, 1999

SUSTRAN Resource Centre sustran at po.jaring.my
Mon Aug 2 12:10:43 JST 1999


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-- -- -- -- CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN -- -- --
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from CAR BUSTERS, 44 rue Burdeau, 69001 Lyon, France
tel: +(33) 4 72 00 23 57  -  fax: +(33) 4 78 28 57 78
<carbusters at wanadoo.fr>  -  <www.antenna.nl/eyfa/cb>
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Monthly edition no. 11  -  August, 1999  -  English Version
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Car Busters is a magazine and resource centre
for the European car-free/anti-car movement.
IN THIS EDITION:
-- SPAIN'S CAR-FREE DAY
-- CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES AGAINST
        RUSSIA'S LAGONAKI-DAGOMYS ROAD
-- LOCAL COUNCILS BACK TRAFFIC REDUCTION POLICIES
-- CONFERENCE TO BE POSTPONED
-- "RIGHT ALL ABOUT IT! RIGHT ALL ABOUT IT!"
     CAR BUSTERS DEADLINE COMING
-- VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
-- ANY EXPERIENCES WITH FREE BIKE PROGRAMMES?
-- KNOW ANY FRANCOPHONES?
-- NOT-SO-WITTY DISCLAIMER


SPAIN'S CAR-FREE DAY

    On April 29 Spain had what started out to be a "Car-Free Day", but
was later named "Today, The Car at Home", and then "Day of
Auto-Reflection". It was a half success, with 15% less cars all
together in the area, motorised-vehicle free zones, increased public
transport use, many more trips by foot, and an increase by 400% of
bicycle trips.
    Of the many actions carried out by one of the day's initiators,
Amics de la Bici altered six billboards to imitate a cigarette
packet warning, advising that cars are bad for your health.
    To contact Amics de la Bici, e-mail <deritja at pangea.org>.


CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES
AGAINST RUSSIA'S LAGONAKI-DAGOMYS ROAD

    On the grounds that they have exhausted all "normal" means to
fight the proposed road throught he Caucasis National Park, protesters
from the ecological group Atshy and the Raduzhnaya Guerilla movement
intensified their direct action campaign, July 7. Eighteen people,
wearing the white headband of the anti-road campaign, blockaded the
government buildings of the Republic of Adygeya. In continuing with
the road, the Adygeya government is not only defying Russian and
international public opinion, but also the advice of State
environmental organisations, and breaking environmental law. Posters,
taped to the windows, read "We demand only one thing: Follow the
Law!", "Green President + Road = ?", and "Enough Roads on
this Earth!". In front of the protesters, on the heap of twigs, stood
the symbolic road with a carboard car on it--symbolising the death of
wild nature in Caucasus National Park.
    The police didn't take long to arrive, kicking the protest
decorations with heavy boots, and tearing apart the blockaders.  Hands
twisted, the passive protesters were dragged by the hair down the
entrance steps. All 18 were shoved in two trucks (each with a
two-person capacity), and left there despite hot conditions for more
than an hour, suffering thumps and handcuffs if they argued. The local
and national TV crews were told to stop filming, the participants's
cameras confiscated and squashed under a "law enforcer"'s boot. All
were given blood-alcohol tests. Finally, after the interference of a
lawyer, all were released.
    On July 17 the president of Agyeya, a republic previously known
for prioritising the environment, ordered the director of the national
park to be relieved of his position. On July 20 the government passed
a law in favor of going ahead with the road building.
    If  you can offer help or ideas to the anti-road campaign, contact
Atshy, <ies at mail.ru>.


LOCAL COUNCILS BACK TRAFFIC REDUCTION POLICIES

    A new survey by Friends of the Earth, published one year after
John Prescott's Transport White Paper, shows that local councils in
England back the traffic reduction policies it contains. But Tony
Blair has yet to back his Deputy with the money or the Parliamentary
time needed to put the traffic reduction policies into effect.
     Friends of the Earth asked all 149 highway authorities in
England whether they thought it desirable to put White Paper traffic
reduction policies into effect in their area, if they were given the
powers and the money. Ninety-three authorities responded. Of these,
all believe it is desirable to encourage employers to develop green
travel plans, 98% believe it is desirable to set up safe routes to
school programmes,  97% want to build bike route networks, 94% want
bus priority networks, and 89% want to encourage walking via area-wide
traffic calming. An impressive 86% want to tighten parking controls,
while 70% want to re-open a local railway line, and 67% think it's
desirable to charge for workplace parking. Only 26%believe it is
desirable to introduce road parking.
    For more information, contact Friends of the Earth at
<info-request at foe.co.uk>.


CONFERENCE TO BE POSTPONED

    After much thinking, stressing and looking for alternatives, it
has finally been decided that the Towards Car-Free Cities II
conference will be postponed due to lack of funding. Originally to be
held in October in Poland, the revised details and funding plans will
be discussed at the Ecotopia gathering in Timisoara, Romania, during
workshops between August 9-13. Stay tuned for more news!


"RIGHT ALL ABOUT IT! RIGHT ALL ABOUT IT!"
CAR BUSTERS DEADLINE COMING

    After having too much fun over summer, the Car Busters crew will
return to being overworked and underpaid in late August, with work on
magazine issue 6. The deadline for your action news, controversial
letters, articles, action photos and announcements is August 15.
Contribute, contribute! It's good for your health (and more so, ours).
     The word limit for news contributions is a couple of paragraphs.
If you want to write something longer or a feature article, get in
contact with us. Help with translation is also very welcome, as is
(vegetarian) pizza delivery when we're working late at night.


VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

    Car Busters magazine issue 6 will be looking at the past (the
history of the car), and the future (where we're going). We'd be
grateful to have 100 words on your vision of the future - what you
want or what you think will arrive - and we'll publish it if it meets
our rigid journalistic standards (hee hee). Don't be afraid to be a
little funny or crazy. Deadline August 15.


ANY EXPERIENCES WITH FREE BIKE PROGRAMMES?

    Issue 6 is also going to contain an article on free bike
programmes, where bikes are left at various points around a city for
people to use and return to a different point. If you have any
experiences of a free bike programme, please contribute a paragraph or
two on your personal experience - how the programme works in your
city, what works well, what needs improvement, and related thoughts.
Deadline August 15.


KNOW ANY FRANCOPHONES?

    As of issue 6, Car Busters will send an inserted supplement to
francophone subscribers, with some full articles translated into
French. If you know anybody who would like to receive Car Busters with
the French supplement, let us know. And if you're interested in taking
on the responsibility of regularly translating large sections into
another language in the future, please, please contact us.


NOT-SO-WITTY DISCLAIMER

Since the entire country of France virtually shuts down for the month
of August, with the exception of tourism, we just wouldn't fit in in
our host country without taking a three-week holiday. So blame France,
not us, if you can't reach us before August 20. The Car Busters office
will be shut for a couple of weeks while we lie around on beaches,
well actually organise workshops at Ecotopia.
So please be patient if we don't answer your e-mails for a bit!

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CAR BUSTERS Magazine and Resource Centre
44 rue Burdeau, 69001 Lyon, France
tel.: +(33) 4 72 00 23 57; fax: +(33) 4 78 28 57 78
carbusters at wanadoo.fr <www.antenna.nl/eyfa/cb>



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