[sustran] Post-Tsunami rebuilding

EcoPlan, Paris eric.britton at ecoplan.org
Fri Dec 31 05:39:33 JST 2004


-----Original Message-----
From: Tramsol at aol.com [mailto:Tramsol at aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 8:27 PM
To: WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [New Mobility/WorldTransport Forum] Post-Tsunami rebuilding

 

A most telling feature of news coverage immediately post impact was the
speed and coverage in restoration of transport achieved by the humble
bicycle, almost as soon as the water had subsided to axle depth, bicycles
were on the streets ferrying supplies and people, and apart from their
limitations on load carrying for mass relief, in a coordinated group the
final distribution of essential supplies like water, can be achieved without
the delay of having to clear every road for motor vehicles, repair bridges,
and get fuel supplies in place.

Those organising the aid might note that a bicycle - especially the
Phoenix/Flying Pidgeon/Dutch roadster with substantial load carrying racks,
has geometry which allows riding with no tyres, backpedal brakes allow
riding with near-round wheels, and bikes don't need fuel bunkerage and fuel
supply taking valuable space on incoming transport (nice analogy here with
the far North Highland line where steam trains required a further steam
train hauling the coal to replenish the stock of coal at the end of the line
to put provide the fuel for the return trip, including taking coal for the
engine that hauled the coal up for the engines...).  Maybe some lessons to
learn here also from Vietnam - where 50,000 Tons of supplies were shipped
down from Hanoi to Da Nang on bicycles, with the riders walking down guiding
their bikes with bamboo extensions to saddle and handlebars, and each bike
carrying roughly 250Kg of supplies, along jungle trails, and going around on
very basic temporary structures where bridges and roads had been destroyed
by the US military who could not conceve that such a vast supply chain could
work without large trucks and roads.  Once unloaded the bamboo extensions
were detached and the bikes returned to being ridden machines for the return
trip.  

If the relief is to get to the people then the bicycle has a major role in
reaching every remote location where there are no roads available.

Dave Holladay
Transportation Management Solutions
6 Woodlands Terrace
Glasgow
G3 6DH

0141  332 4733  Phone
07 710 535 404  Mobile



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