[sustran] Last minute notice of a radio interview on cities and transport in Eastern Europe

[Eric Britton]

For anyone who happens to be next to their computer today at noon, Paris and
Ljubiana time, you may want to thinking about tuning in to an interview led by
Matej Praprotnik of Radio Slovenia, discussing how if at all the New Mobility
Agenda might be of use in Slovenia and its cities at a time of fast growth and a
decided penchant for cars. 

 

Here are the five questions that he asks and to which I try to respond:

 

1.       It is interesting to see a change in perception of the car. Once it was
a family dream now it is a personal need, a status symbol. Perhaps carsharing is
a solution for that problem, but the idea is still rare among Slovenes. 

 

2.       I'd say that none of Slovene cities has been familiar with the New
Mobility Agenda. Local elections are ahead; perhaps this is an ideal time to
talk about long-term traffic solutions. Which world cities are already
successful in implementing new mobility agenda? 

 

3.       In our radio programme we suggested carpooling as one of possible
measures to avoid traffic jams, actually we suggested a ban on one-person cars
during peak hours. Could that work or is it a stupid suggestion? 

 

4.       In general people we interviewed agreed there are too many "driver
only" cars, however, they were reluctant to think of any restrictions. They also
disagreed with a peak hour restriction based on plate numbers such as in Sao
Paulo, Brazil. "Such restrictive policy has no place in democracy", they say.
You surely disagree with that? 

 

5.       Most common strategy to cut down heavy traffic is by building new
roads. We are used to hear we need new roads. If there's an alternative to a
car, is there an alternative to building new roads.

 

You can pick up the program via  <http://www.rtvslo.si/val202>
http://www.rtvslo.si/val202   (Radio Slovenia 2 - home page) - and there you
will see on the upper left menu an icon representing a loud speaker with the
caption POSLUŠAJ . Easy enough.

 

The interview is, I am told, in Slovenian but with an easy to follow English
track in the background. 

 

We need to be lending a hand in these glorious, under attack cities of the
former Bloc countries. If we don't who will, eh?

 

Eric Britton

 

 

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