[sustran] RE: URGENT: arrest of Jakarta pedicab activists

Hoque, Kazi kazi.hoque at ic.ac.uk
Sun Mar 5 01:40:16 JST 2000


Although I agree with the pedicabs, 
I have to say that the major problem is the lack of discipline of the
pedicabs.

In Bangladesh for an example many people are killed everyday on rickshaws.
Although I admit it is not always their fault. However when you have such
variations speeds from cars, buses, baby taxis ( 3 wheeler scooter cabs) and
rickshaws there will be bound to be conflicts. My major concern is safety,
By standardising rickshaws in safety and build quality, things may improve.
Also if a licensing system was introduced, it would improve the discipline.

I also agree with Barter's statement that it is city's citizen trying to be
a modern fashionable city to eradicate the pedicabs.  Unfortunately the
western world have to lead here and promote the pedicabs image. Maybe then
we might see a renaissance in pedicab transport 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	SUSTRAN Network Secretariat [SMTP:sustran at po.jaring.my]
> Sent:	Wednesday, March 01, 2000 4:19 AM
> To:	sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> Cc:	vera at pelangi.or.id
> Subject:	Re: URGENT: arrest of Jakarta pedicab activists
> 
> Further to the latest developments in Jakarta I feel prompted to post some
> text from our forthcoming Community Action Guide (now at the printers)
> which is relevant to the issue.
> -----------------------
> 
> In defence of pedicabs
> 
> Pedicabs are NOT inefficient or backward. Just like taxis, buses and
> bicycles, they have a legitimate place as part of an integrated,
> people-centred and sustainable system of transport. They are uniquely
> suited to a particular niche - or class of trips. Recently, several cities
> in the West have even started pedicab services in their central areas.
> 
> In many cities around the world that still have pedicabs, the pedicab
> drivers face many difficulties, including exploitation by owners of fleets
> of pedicabs. 
> 
> "Faced with this inequality and exploitation, how have different
> governments responded? In many countries there have been attempts to help
> rickshaw-pullers, mostly under the heading of 'rickshaw to the puller'.
> But
> everywhere these attempts have been rather half-hearted, whereas a lot of
> official energy has been devoted to abolishing the rickshaw...
> 
> ... The real reasons for wanting to abolish cycle-rickshaws had nothing to
> do with 'efficiency' or 'humanity.' After all, rickshaw drivers were not
> the only undisciplined road-users. Nor were rickshaws the most wasteful
> users of road space. As for the 'humanitarian reasons', the authorities
> cared very little about the other aspects of the pullers' lives. 
> 
> The real reason for wanting to do away with cycle-rickshaws was that
> wealthy people didn't like them. They detracted from the modern city image
> that they were trying to create, and they got in the way of the motor
> cars."  (Gallagher, 1992)
> 
> Any city in which private cars face little or no restraint or restrictions
> can have no justification in restricting the operations of non-motorised
> vehicles, including pedicabs. 
> -----------------------------
> 
> 
> A. Rahman Paul BARTER
> Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia 
> and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network)
> P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia.
> E-mail: sustran at po.jaring.my
> URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran (under construction)
> 
> Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on
> people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport
> with a focus on countries in the global 'South'.



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