[sustran] Fw: UN News: ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK TO SPREAD ACROSS CONTINENTSAFTER LANDMARK DEAL

[Kisan Mehta]

Dear Regina and colleagues,

Citizens are not involved in such high sounding projects.  Their views are
ignored and discouraged.   This is our experience even in Wolrd Bank
assisted projects.

These highways are primarily restricted to personal cars, heavy duty trucks.
Other modes are not allowed. Even public road buses are not allowed.

Instead of highways, efficient railway
network can do better for people in countries having low car ownership. The
UN idea is not for providing transport to common people.  Best wishes.

Kisan Mehta
Tel/Tax: 00 91 33 2414 9688

----- Original Message -----
From: "Regina Manzo" <reginamanzo at hotmail.com>
To: <sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 6:49 AM
Subject: [sustran] UN News: ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK TO SPREAD ACROSS
CONTINENTSAFTER LANDMARK DEAL


 See news story below regarding highway network in Asia.
>
> Anyone aware of whether the other modes were part of consideration for the
> "strong transport links" that are sought?  Anyone in Sustrans involved in
> related negotiations?
>
> best,
> Gina Manzo
> Singapore
> > Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 13:00:49 -0500
>
> ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK TO SPREAD ACROSS CONTINENT AFTER LANDMARK DEAL - UN
> New York, Nov 21 2003  1:00PM
> The Asian Highway network will be extended across 32 countries over the
> whole of the continent after delegates to the United Nations Economic and
> Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) reached a landmark
> agreement this week.
>
> During a two-day a meeting in Bangkok, ESCAP developed its first
> intergovernmental agreement - a deal it said in a statement would realize
> "the vision of an efficient, reliable regional transport network" for the
> continent.
>
> The Asian highway route AH1 currently runs from Pusan in the Republic of
> Korea to Fukuoka and Tokyo in Japan. The new agreement means the network
> will eventually extend to 32 member countries of ESCAP with more than
> 140,000 kilometres of highways.
>
> ESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su told the meeting that strong
transport
> links are crucial if countries want to advance in a globalized economy.
The
> agreement will be formally signed in Shanghai in April.
>   2003-11-21 00:00:00.000
>  ________________