[sustran] Re: [SUSTRAN] Re: Tata Nano: Criminalizing Mobility orMobilizing Crime

[Sujit Patwardhan]

If they are all going to different destinations I don't see how owning the
Nano would help very much, unless they buy several Nanos per family. And
wouldn't it be much cheaper to improve the public transport (presently
getting slower each year mainly due to the increased number of personal auto
vehicles coming on the roads) by introducing bus lanes, more buses etc than
to get into the vicious circle of building more roads, flyovers, parking
lots etc which will not solve congestion but make it worse? Fortunately the
central government has recently stopped funds to Bangalore city under the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban renewal Mission (JNNURM) for flyovers and
roads without preparation of a comprehensive citywide mobility plan that
favours "mobility of people rather than vehicles" as stressed by the
National Urban Transport Policy. Many NGOs in India welcome this step as
explosion of auto vehicle numbers (not just the Nano) will be disaster for
the country.
--
Sujit






On Jan 23, 2008 11:45 PM, Pendakur <pendakur at interchange.ubc.ca> wrote:

> It would be good if all the people who have sent in discussions on the
> "smart Tata car", to place themselves in the position of a person, say in
> Bangalore (india), who has two children and a spouse, all going to
> different
> destinations.  Even though the bus system is ok in Banaglore, compared to
> other cities in India, it would take this family a great deal of time and
> money to reach their destinations,.  In addition, all four destinations (2
> schools and 2 work places) are farther apart.  This smart car is a boon to
> this family.  It will cut their travel time in half and provide a safer
> vehicle than the motor cycle they use now.
>
> Eloquence is good (criminalizing mobility) but empty eloquence from a
> distance is rarely of any significance.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Setty
> Dr. V. Setty Pendakur
> Professor Emeritus, University of BC
> Honorary Professor, China National Academy of Sciences;
> Director, ITDP (NY) & Secretary, ABE90-TRB
>
> President, Pacific Policy and Planning Associates
> 702- 1099 Marinaside Cresecent, Vancouver, BC
> Canada V6Z 2Z3
> 604-263-3576; Fax: 604-263-6493
>
>

-- 
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sujitjp at gmail.com

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