[sustran] Fw: [sustran] comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report

kisan mehta kisansbc at vsnl.com
Mon Nov 19 21:01:38 JST 2001


----- Original Message -----
From: kisan mehta <kisansbc at vsnl.com>
To: <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Sent: Monday November 19, 2001 5.30 PM
Subject: Re: [sustran] comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report


> Dear Matthias,  and our Sustran friends,
>
> Matthias"s message raises a flood of issues. But I am
> going to restrict to emphasizing the need for involving
> the citizens, as users of facilities coming up as a part
> of a project in the project planning. Programmes
> formulated by technicians and experts sitting on a
> drawing board without remaining in touch with the ground
> fail because they have no basis to feel the citizen need.
> Statistics do not always give the correct picture.
>
> Another drawback is that the experts do not pursue for
> implementation of programmes laboriously formulated
> as they do not feel that it their duty to follow them up.
> Citizens do not feel enthused to pursue because the
> expert project do not reflect their aspirations and
> expectations.
>
> In the developing countries, innumerable programmes
> are considered as essential as the basic infrastructure
> is non-existent.  They compete with each other. Politician
> and bureaucrat take up easy & glamourous programmes.
> Needs of the people are not met.
>
> It is important  and more so in case of mass mobility that
> people's needs are met.  Some of us feel that citizen
> initiative works better than technically and academically
> perfect plan.  We try to involve citizens by taking proposals
> to them and to feel their responses. We have to find out
> sustainable and affordable programmes.  We cannot talk
> of flyovers and light rail systems where need for mass
> movement of people on schedule is not met. We should
> not talk of providing support to car sale when public road
> buses are always overcrowded.
>
> I strongly feel that the Sustran should show readiness to
> the WBCSD to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan say
> for next 10 to 20 years that the car manufacturers do not
> produce more than the need.  We observe that they start
> giving all freebees and pressure the government to
> extend allconcessions and subsidies in the name of
> maintaining the production levels.
>
> There is a myth that the industry provides jobs, and more
> sophisticated it is more the jobs.   India is the largest
> manufacturer of textiles in the world.  It is also the largest
> or the second largest exporter too.  It is estimated that
> Rs 165 billion (Rs 47 equal to One $) are invested in the industry,  The
> industry provides 1.3 million jobs. The
> handspun and handwoven textile producing sector
> provides 4,5 million jobs though only Rs 5 billion are
> invested. Despite this, the government does
> everything to help large industries because expert
> reports recommend large industries.
>
> There is no reason for not conveying to the WBCSD that
> the Sustran is ready to prepare a holistic and
> comprehensive programme on mobility and use of
> different modes. Best wishes
>
> Kisan Mehta
> Priya Salvi
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: matthias mueth <matthias_mueth at hotmail.com>
> To: <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 4:11 PM
> Subject: [sustran] comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report
>
>
> Dear John,
>
> the idea of bringing in such people (and others) into the decision
> making process (through steering committees) is tempting.
>
> However, being a victim (in the wider sense) of transport and traffic
> does not make you an "expert" (in the sense of catching complex and
> interdependent aspects).
>
> If the purpose is to incorporate further vested interests, there is a
> valid point in the suggestion. But it carries consideralbe costs as
> well, because the decision making process is becoming even more likely
> to be blocked by narrowly defined agendas.
>
> Finding representatives for these groups (preferably with some sort of
> mandate that gives them legitimacy to speak up for their group), who
> bring along expertise in further aspects (political decision making,
> needs and interests of other groups, etc.), might be a more realistic
> strategy in reaching results.
>
> This does not mean that I was suggesting to leave the traffic planning
> solely to the so-called "traffic-expert" alone - we have had that for
> quite a while...
>
> Best regards
> Matthias Mueth
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: owner-sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> [mailto:owner-sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org] Im Auftrag von Paul Barter
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 14. November 2001 10:09
> An: 'sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org'
> Betreff: [sustran] FW: Re: comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report
>
> Subject: BOUNCE sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org: Non-member submission
> from ["John Whitelegg" <j_whitelegg at hotmail.com>]
>
>
> From: "John Whitelegg" <j_whitelegg at hotmail.com>
> To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> Subject: Re: [sustran] comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report
> Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 09:04:55 +0000
>
> Dear Sustran colleagues,
>
> Just a very brief comment on the WBC sustainability process rather than
> the
> content.  There is currently a great deal of effort globally on the part
> of
> large corporations, groups that represent businesses and public interest
> groups in sustainable mobility.  If all this effort and cash is to turn
> out
> good results it is imperative that the process reflects all stakeholder
> interests and not just buinesses, transport professionals, NGOs etc.
>
> I would like to make a very specific suggestion.  Those of us involved
> in
> transport and mobility work anywhere in the world should request that
> all
> projects of this kind (eg the WBC project) should be managed by a
> steering
> committee drawn from the following groups:
>
>
>
> retired/aged over 60
> those with mobility difficulties
> women with young children
> victims of road traffic crashes
> those who do not drive
> regular cyclists
> those who walk to work
> those involved in small scale farming/food production
> those who live in rural areas
> those who live in large cities
> those who live in medium sized towns
> those who live near airports and high speed rail lines
> those who are without work
> those who are in part time work
> children
> those who live on heavily trafficked streets on on routes across the
> Alps
>
> Other suggestions would be most welcome.
>
>
> The world of sustainable mobility has a great deal to offer to policy
> makers
>
> and others concerned with charting paths out of mobility addiction but
> it
> does not automatically bring with it a people centred, accessibility
> based
> modesty.  It has the potential to make as many mistakes as the paradigm
> it
> is attempting to replace and it should (I suggest) be re-centred in a
> people-oriented context.
>
> What do you think?
>
>
>
>
> John Whitelegg
> Roskilde University, Denmark
>
>
> and Editor, World transport Policy and Practice
>
>
>
> >From: mobility <mobility at igc.org>
> >Reply-To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> >To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> >Subject: [sustran] comments on WBCSD Mobility 21 Report
> >Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 14:32:33 -0500
> >
> >Dear Sustran members, etc.
> >
> >We will send some collective comments to the World Business Council for
> >Sustainable Development reacting to their Mobility 2001 report.  Please
> >send your comments to us by Friday, November 16 and we will circulate a
> >draft letter and ask anyone who wants to to co-sign.
> >
> >Evidently, only $1.5 or so million was spent on the study and some
> >workshops, not the $10 million that I mentioned earlier.  This means
> >that there is still some $8 million in funds that the WBCSD may be
> >spending on sustainable transport related activities.
> >
> >For this reason it might be worth considering, as well as critiquing
> >their report, some suggestions as to how best they could spend this
> >money.  Arguably, wasting the entirety of the money on more research
> >might not be the worst thing, given the source of the funding, (big oil
> >and big auto) and possible alternative uses of that money.  However, I
> >am persuaded by more moderate voices that there is a possibility we
> >could persuade them to use this money in a truly constructive way.
> >
> >Please get any thoughts sent to us by this friday and we'll incorporate
> >them in a draft letter to send to the WBCSD.
> >
> >thanks, best
> >walter hook
> >
>
>
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