From edelman at greenidea.eu Thu Apr 1 08:55:01 2010 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:55:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] =?iso-8859-1?Q?UK_to_invest_=A330m_in_Nigerian_public_t?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?ransport_system?= Message-ID: <4BB3E0D5.6020908@greenidea.eu> http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/31/nigeria-molues-danfoes-uk-invest UK to invest ?30m in Nigerian public transport system Britain to pay for buses and trains to replace molues and danfoes - Lagos's legendarily hectic buses and minibuses * John Vidal * guardian.co.uk , Wednesday 31 March 2010 17.06 BST Lagos is set for a major transport overhaul Photograph: Pius Utomi Ekpei /AFP/Getty Images Anyone who has experienced the "molues" and "danfoes" - the notorious buses and minibuses of Lagos - will understand the word anarchy. They carry huge numbers of people round the African mega-city but they respect no traffic lanes, bus-stops or policemen, many are falling apart and they belch some of the the dirtiest smoke in Africa . But Britain is hoping to bring some order to the city of legendary traffic jams and road rage by trying to rationalise its public transport system. Over the next few years it will invest more than ?30m increasing the number of bus routes, bringing in bigger buses and helping to build two new train lines to go through some of the most densely populated areas of Lagos. Lagos has a population of 16 million but the Nigerian government expects this to grow to over 25m in the next 20 years, leaving the city authorities unable to provide clean water and electricity, or to keep pace with the growth of slums. Unless investments are urgently made in the infrastructure, says the UK's Department for International Development, the situation will become critical. It now plans to invest in improving slum areas in other African cities. The switch to investing in the urban environment rather than rural areas marks a significant shift in approach to combating poverty. Until very recently most aid has been directed at rural areas to try and stem the flow of people to cities and boost agriculture. But there is a new understanding that hunger in large cities and poverty is now as bad in cities as in rural areas. "Investing in urban areas is a different set of challenges," said international development minister Gareth Thomas. "We have watched the rise of the mega-city, especially in Africa . Places like like Addis Ababa, Cairo and Johannesburg will all see massive expansion over the next 20-30 years. Unless we act now people will only live in slums . "People find it difficult to access work outside their own impoverished areas due to lack of transport and potential industry around the slums is hampered by unreliable electricity sources," he said. UN predictions show that, by 2030, 700 million people will live in towns or cities in Africa and of them, 70% will live in slums. -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR* is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Privatautostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) * "Car" is a sub-category of automobile, i.e. one used inappropriately, opportunistically or without creativity From edelman at greenidea.eu Thu Apr 1 17:04:01 2010 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:04:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Nigeria: An apology from Royal Dutch Shell Message-ID: <4BB45371.8050305@greenidea.eu> *Nigeria: An apology from Royal Dutch Shell - please see links below for full details* /The Hague, 27 March 2010/ Today, Royal Dutch Shell is holding back the tears no more. Shell apologises to all inhabitants of Nigeria's Niger Delta for the many years of human rights violations, for which Shell takes full responsibility. Confronted with massive evidence of human rights violations that can only be attributed to its operations in the Niger Delta, Royal Dutch Shell is extremely proud to be the first international petrochemical company to publicly say: *We are sorry.* Since Shell first discovered oil in the Niger Delta in 1956, the company has ravished the land and polluted the environment. "We thought these people didn't know what was good for them," explains Bradford Houppe, Vice-President of Shell's newly established Ethical Affairs Committee. "We never knew that we were bringing them impoverishment, conflict, abuse and deprivation. Now we know." Shell acknowledges that it is responsible for large-scale oil spills, waste dumping and gas flaring. Each year, hundreds of oil spills occur, many of which are caused by corrosion of oil pipes and poor maintenance of infrastructure. "Our failure to deal with these spills swiftly and the lack of effective clean-up greatly exacerbate their human rights and environmental impact," says Houppe. "And that is wrong. It's just really wrong." More than 60 per cent of the people in the Niger Delta depend on the natural environment for their livelihood. But due to the oil pollution, many of them use polluted water to drink and to cook and wash with, and eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins. Oil spills and waste dumping have also seriously damaged agricultural land. The destruction of livelihoods and the lack of redress have led people to steal oil and vandalise oil infrastructure in an attempt to gain compensation or clean-up contracts. Armed groups engage in large-scale theft of oil and the ransoming of oil workers. Government reprisals frequently involve excessive force and the collective punishment of communities, thus deepening general anger and resentment. Between 2005 and 2008, the Nigerian government received around $36 billion in taxes and royalties from Shell. "They have never, not in the slightest, held us to account for all the wrong we did," says Houppe. "So without taking back any of our apologies, by all means: blame them too!" A comprehensive Plan of Action, featuring general apologies, detailed apologies, apologies in Braille and apologies in rhyme that Shell employees will hang on the walls in their offices, will be presented at Shell's Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2010 in The Hague. *For more information see: **http://tinyurl.com/y9xrw5t and **http://tinyurl.com/2ht3po and **http://tinyurl.com/657jfv* -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR* is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Privatautostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) * "Car" is a sub-category of automobile, i.e. one used inappropriately, opportunistically or without creativity From voodikon at yahoo.com Thu Apr 1 17:25:03 2010 From: voodikon at yahoo.com (jane.) Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 01:25:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Re: Nigeria: An apology from Royal Dutch Shell In-Reply-To: <4BB45371.8050305@greenidea.eu> Message-ID: <359361.57318.qm@web39505.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Happy April Fool's to you, too. Wasn't the "apologies in rhyme" a bit over the top? Jane --- On Thu, 4/1/10, Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory wrote: From: Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory Subject: [sustran] Nigeria: An apology from Royal Dutch Shell To: "Global 'South' Sustainable Transport" Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010, 4:04 PM *Nigeria: An apology from Royal Dutch Shell - please see links below for full details* /The Hague, 27 March 2010/ Today, Royal Dutch Shell is holding back the tears no more. Shell apologises to all inhabitants of Nigeria's Niger Delta for the many years of human rights violations, for which Shell takes full responsibility. Confronted with massive evidence of human rights violations that can only be attributed to its operations in the Niger Delta, Royal Dutch Shell is extremely proud to be the first international petrochemical company to publicly say: *We are sorry.* Since Shell first discovered oil in the Niger Delta in 1956, the company has ravished the land and polluted the environment. "We thought these people didn't know what was good for them," explains Bradford Houppe, Vice-President of Shell's newly established Ethical Affairs Committee. "We never knew that we were bringing them impoverishment, conflict, abuse and deprivation. Now we know." Shell acknowledges that it is responsible for large-scale oil spills, waste dumping and gas flaring. Each year, hundreds of oil spills occur, many of which are caused by corrosion of oil pipes and poor maintenance of infrastructure. "Our failure to deal with these spills swiftly and the lack of effective clean-up greatly exacerbate their human rights and environmental impact," says Houppe. "And that is wrong. It's just really wrong." More than 60 per cent of the people in the Niger Delta depend on the natural environment for their livelihood. But due to the oil pollution, many of them use polluted water to drink and to cook and wash with, and eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins. Oil spills and waste dumping have also seriously damaged agricultural land. The destruction of livelihoods and the lack of redress have led people to steal oil and vandalise oil infrastructure in an attempt to gain compensation or clean-up contracts. Armed groups engage in large-scale theft of oil and the ransoming of oil workers. Government reprisals frequently involve excessive force and the collective punishment of communities, thus deepening general anger and resentment. Between 2005 and 2008, the Nigerian government received around $36 billion in taxes and royalties from Shell. "They have never, not in the slightest, held us to account for all the wrong we did," says Houppe. "So without taking back any of our apologies, by all means: blame them too!" A comprehensive Plan of Action, featuring general apologies, detailed apologies, apologies in Braille and apologies in rhyme that Shell employees will hang on the walls in their offices, will be presented at Shell's Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2010 in The Hague. *For more information see: **http://tinyurl.com/y9xrw5t and **http://tinyurl.com/2ht3po and **http://tinyurl.com/657jfv* -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR* is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Privatautostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) * "Car" is a sub-category of automobile, i.e. one used inappropriately, opportunistically or without creativity -------------------------------------------------------- To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss -------------------------------------------------------- If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Apr 2 18:20:38 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 11:20:38 +0200 Subject: [sustran] World Streets/Monthly Report - March 2010 Message-ID: <018c01cad245$c9a7bc70$5cf73550$@britton@ecoplan.org> World Streets/Monthly Report - March 2010 We very much doubt that most of our busy readers have the time to check into World Streets on a daily basis. For that reason we make available to our subscribers and sponsors in addition to the daily edition, a monthly summary which brings together in one place all postings and comments in a manner in which the busy reader can scan the month's titles in a few lines and make a decision as to whether or not to call up and read the full article. Time-efficient communication in an overload world. --> No broadband? No problem. Find it on the Open Edition at www.open.WorldStreets.org -- > Discussions on World Streets Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldStreets (Post to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com ) Read World Streets Today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ & www.open.worldstreets.org New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Apr 2 19:39:09 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 12:39:09 +0200 Subject: [sustran] London Mayor identifies 140 traffic signals for removal Message-ID: <01ef01cad250$bd124bf0$3736e3d0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Mayor identifies 140 traffic signals for removal Transport for London has identified 140 traffic signals across the capital that may no longer perform a useful role and could be removed. Officials are finalising the collection of data on traffic flows and accidents from each site to verify that the signals are no longer useful in traffic, pedestrian or safety terms. David Brown, TfL's managing director for surface transport, told last week's meeting of the TfL board that 28 sets of traffic signals had already been removed in the capital this financial year, ten of which were on TfL's road network. Board members also received an update on the proposed trial of pedestrian 'countdown' signals. TfL submitted plans to the DfT at the beginning of March to trial the technology at eight locations in the capital. If approval is granted the first trial site could be installed as early as June. Countdown signals will show pedestrians how many seconds are left in the 'blackout' period - the phase between the green man being extinguished and road traffic receiving a green light. Brown also provided the board with details of TfL's lane rental plans under which utility companies would have to pay a charge for the time they occupy the road when conducting streetworks. Brown said utility companies could avoid paying the charge if they undertook work at non-traffic sensitive times or employed "innovative working practices" so that the carriageway was returned to traffic use at peak times. Brown said TfL's plans would need amendments to existing legislation. Lane rental powers were included in the New Roads and Streetworks Act but have only ever been trialled, in Camden and Middlesbrough. Transport minister Sadiq Khan said in December that the DfT would consult on lane rental this summer and that regulations could be introduced in October 2011. They would only be available for use on the "most sensitive roads in the most congested urban areas". (Thanks to Ian Perry for the heads-up) http://www.transportxtra.com/magazines/local_transport_today/news/?id=21956 From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Apr 7 22:38:54 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 15:38:54 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Vancouver Olympics - Lessons For Transport Planners Message-ID: <02d901cad657$b2ad2170$18076450$@britton@ecoplan.org> Every once in a while sustainable transport and sustainable city planners get a break. Some of these are immediately recognizable as such, for example when your city has decided to host some important international event such as the Olympic Games, a World Expo, or some kind of international athletic, cultural or political event, all of which occasions which may provide the funding and vision of the city which is simply not there in the ordinary hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. But these "opportunities" may also take a far less rosy form, such as a crippling transit strike or even natural disaster which may temporarily or permanently wipe out some part of the city's normal transportation arrangements. In this article, our friend and colleague Todd Litman reports from Canada on one of the more happy occasions for transition and innovation. But at the end of the day there is always the question, "what is the legacy of all this?" Way-To-Go Vancouver Olympics - Lessons For Transport Planners - Todd Litman, Executive director, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria BC __,_._,___--> The full text of this article appears in today's World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> No broadband? No problem. Find it on the Open Edition at www.open.WorldStreets.org -- > Discussions on World Streets Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldStreets (Post to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com ) Read World Streets Today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ & www.open.worldstreets.org New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 8 04:35:27 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 21:35:27 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Americans want alternatives. Message-ID: <03e101cad689$7e4fe7f0$7aefb7d0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Fair enough. We all want choices. That is no more than human nature, But when it comes to transport policy and practice in the United Stats at the highest level, the idea of real choices is no less than a revolutionary statement. Right from the mouth of President Obama's Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, who continues to surprise and delight. (But now, vigilant citizens, let's see where the $$$ go. There is no such thing as passive democracy.) US Transportation Secretary on Biking, Walking and 'What Americans Want' --> The full text of this article appears in today's World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> No broadband? No problem. Find it on the Open Edition at www.open.WorldStreets.org -- > Discussions on World Streets Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldStreets (Post to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com ) Read World Streets Today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ & www.open.worldstreets.org New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Fri Apr 9 09:20:41 2010 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 08:20:41 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) Message-ID: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been some very informative coverage. http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they actually work better. Paul From sudhir at cai-asia.org Fri Apr 9 09:37:08 2010 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 08:37:08 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Hi all, On the question of regulating two and three wheelers - a good starting point is http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/system/files/23_Wheeler_Best_Practices_DraftFinal_22Oct09.pdf ITDP makes some good arguments here and it can be a good starting point as to why? how? what? etc... Sudhir On 9 April 2010 08:20, Paul Barter wrote: > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been > some very informative coverage. > > http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they > actually work better. > > Paul > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > -- Sudhir Gota Transport Specialist CAI-Asia Center Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 Tel: +63-2-395-2843 Fax: +63-2-395-2846 Visit our new portal: www.cleanairinitiative.org Skype : sudhirgota From madhav.g.badami at mcgill.ca Fri Apr 9 12:55:35 2010 From: madhav.g.badami at mcgill.ca (Madhav Badami, Prof.) Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 23:55:35 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Paul et al, The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at large, but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is suspect -- I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for the Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that autorickshaws and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities want to project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and after all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the Guardian story (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws), in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a key aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. But Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was illegal. The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles run on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the city is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations or bus stops. Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of the capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural change" before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the city clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and caring for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that they have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an impression that they have been to a truly civilized city?: http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html Madhav ************************************************************************ "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery Madhav G. Badami, PhD School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment McGill University Macdonald-Harrington Building 815 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning www.mcgill.ca/mse e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca ________________________________________ From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org [sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been some very informative coverage. http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they actually work better. Paul -------------------------------------------------------- To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss -------------------------------------------------------- If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). From alok.priyanka at gmail.com Fri Apr 9 13:26:12 2010 From: alok.priyanka at gmail.com (Jains) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 09:56:12 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Begs the question what is "good impression"? An inane attempt to imitate or to make an iconic attempt. Ms Dixit would have to be God to attempt cultural change in six months' time. Micro-finance and owner-operator arrangement combined with good regulation is the way to go. Auto-rickshaws in smaller Indian cities can be taken as a good example. I use them often and there are couple of guys who also operate "on-demand" services (thanks to the mobile phones). Regards Alok On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Madhav Badami, Prof. < madhav.g.badami@mcgill.ca> wrote: > Paul et al, > > The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the > poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at large, > but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is suspect -- > I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for the > Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that autorickshaws > and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities want to > project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative > impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and after > all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the > Guardian story ( > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws), > in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: > > "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a key > aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. But > Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was illegal. > > The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles run > on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the city > is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an > essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations or > bus stops. > > Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of the > capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural change" > before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. > > "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the city > clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and caring > for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that they > have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) > > By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high > price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an impression > that they have been to a truly civilized city?: > > http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ > > > http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html > > Madhav > > ************************************************************************ > > "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- > Antoine de Saint-Exupery > > Madhav G. Badami, PhD > School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment > Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment > McGill University > > Macdonald-Harrington Building > 815 Sherbrooke Street West > Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada > > Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) > Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 > URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning > www.mcgill.ca/mse > e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca > > ________________________________________ > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org[sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami= > mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [ > paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] > Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by > Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) > > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been > some very informative coverage. > > http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they > actually work better. > > Paul > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Apr 9 17:43:53 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 10:43:53 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Chengdu China looking at caps on cars Message-ID: <008801cad7c0$d5922d60$80b68820$@britton@ecoplan.org> Chengdu China looking at caps on cars - Jane Voodikon reports from Chengdu "You can't not notice the horrid traffic in Chengdu. But it seemed authorities had turned a blind eye to the situation, hoping that the construction of pedestrian overpasses and the opening of the subway later this year would resolve the problem. In the meantime, traffic is only getting more backed up. Late last month, it was announced that the Chengdu government is drawing up plans to address the situation by placing limits on the number of new license plates it issues.". Not only that, but the public will be involved. A policy hearing is scheduled for April 28. The hearing is meant to take into account input from city residents, representatives of impacted industries, and representatives from people of "all walks of life." Once the announcement was made, major media outlets encouraged citizens to give their input on the issue. On March 26, the China Daily published this article (in Chinese; we have translated the majority of the text below): __,_._,___--> The full text of this article appears in today's World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> No broadband? No problem. Find it on the Open Edition at www.open.WorldStreets.org -- > Discussions on World Streets Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldStreets (Post to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com ) Read World Streets Today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ & www.open.worldstreets.org New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility From carlosfpardo at gmail.com Sat Apr 10 07:21:08 2010 From: carlosfpardo at gmail.com (Carlosfelipe Pardo) Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:21:08 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Result - What to do with 900 bikes? In-Reply-To: <4B985DAC.2060705@googlemail.com> References: <7272a1b31003101743q3b4f17adne36e79ab8525ac0f@mail.gmail.com> <4B985DAC.2060705@googlemail.com> Message-ID: <4BBFA854.5050002@gmail.com> Hi, I had sent the email below some weeks ago, and many of you gave very good ideas on how to use these 900 abandoned bikes. We also did a survey of bike users and 43 of them gave us other ideas on how to use the bicycles. Unfortunately, all 900 bicycles were practically destroyed, and logistics of the local organization which was going to pick them up (Fenalco) made it impossible to pick up all the 900. They could only pick "the 200 best ones", and out of those we got the 10 "best of the best", which were actually impossible to fix.... we went to a bike shop and fixing them would cost us more than a new basic bicycle. Thus, we have chosen to use all ten bicycles for artistic purposes (i.e. sculptures - performances on the bikes by recognized artists). If we get good artists, we will do an auction of the bikes and use the money for safe routes to school or some other nice initiative. (the other 190 bicycles were sold as scrap metal, and that money will also be used for safe routes to school). In conclusion, it is extremely sad to find that people who had functional bikes have lost them entirely due to penalties of the traffic police, and now making them at all usable was impossible. It may be useful as a case study of a "worst practice". Best regards, Carlos. > > On 11/03/10 8:43 AM, Carlosfelipe Pardo wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I have a practical problem: Bogot?'s traffic police have taken away >> bicycles from people not wearing helmets, and getting them back costs >> more than the actual cost of the bike. In consequence, there are a >> couple of yards with some 900 bikes sitting there for the last 10 >> years. This week a judge has told a local organization that they are >> willing to "donate them" for a noble cause, but that they must be >> taken from the yards before this Friday. They are getting a warehouse >> to store them at least from Friday and during some weeks, but now the >> questions are: >> - Will they be at all useful (imagine, bikes that have been in the >> open and under rain, sun, etc for up to 10 years...)? >> - If they're not useful as fully-functional bikes, what can they be >> used for? Some people have said they should do a sculpture, do various >> sculptures and do an auction with those sculptures, turn them into >> blocks of scrap metal... >> >> Now my question to all of you is: what would you do with 900 >> used-disfunctional bicycles? (of course, imagine you have very limited >> amounts of money to do something). >> >> Best regards, >> >> > From krc12353 at gmail.com Sat Apr 10 07:50:36 2010 From: krc12353 at gmail.com (Karthik Rao Cavale) Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 18:50:36 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Connecting this thread to the Litman article on World Streets ( http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2010/04/vancouver-olympics-lessons-for.html), it becomes apparent that major events can influence cities differently. Vancouver chose to implement policies that cut transportation demand to make up for the influx of visitors. Delhi chooses policies that promote personal vehicles instead. I believe one of the few legacies of the Asian Games in 1982 in Delhi is a flyover on Ring Road near Lajpat Nagar and Andrews Ganj. At this rate, we must hope Delhi never wins an Olympics bid. On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 12:26 AM, Jains wrote: > Begs the question what is "good impression"? An inane attempt to imitate or > to make an iconic attempt. Ms Dixit would have to be God to attempt > cultural > change in six months' time. > > Micro-finance and owner-operator arrangement combined with good regulation > is the way to go. Auto-rickshaws in smaller Indian cities can be taken as a > good example. I use them often and there are couple of guys who also > operate > "on-demand" services (thanks to the mobile phones). > > Regards > Alok > > On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Madhav Badami, Prof. < > madhav.g.badami@mcgill.ca> wrote: > > > Paul et al, > > > > The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the > > poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at large, > > but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is suspect > -- > > I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for the > > Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that autorickshaws > > and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities want > to > > project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative > > impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and after > > all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the > > Guardian story ( > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws > ), > > in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: > > > > "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a > key > > aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. > But > > Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was > illegal. > > > > The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles > run > > on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the > city > > is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an > > essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations > or > > bus stops. > > > > Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of > the > > capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural change" > > before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. > > > > "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the city > > clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and > caring > > for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that they > > have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) > > > > By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high > > price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an impression > > that they have been to a truly civilized city?: > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 > > > > > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ > > > > > > > http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html > > > > Madhav > > > > ************************************************************************ > > > > "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- > > Antoine de Saint-Exupery > > > > Madhav G. Badami, PhD > > School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment > > Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment > > McGill University > > > > Macdonald-Harrington Building > > 815 Sherbrooke Street West > > Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada > > > > Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) > > Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 > > URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning > > www.mcgill.ca/mse > > e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca > > > > ________________________________________ > > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org > [sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami= > > mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [ > > paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] > > Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 > > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > > Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by > > Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) > > > > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has > been > > some very informative coverage. > > > > > http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ > > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 > > > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi > is > > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and > > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to > ban > > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But > > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted > by > > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. > > > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed > > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for > > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? > > > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like > > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the > solution. > > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their > > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking > > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). > But > > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they > > actually work better. > > > > Paul > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > > > ================================================================ > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > > (the 'Global South'). > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > > > ================================================================ > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > > (the 'Global South'). > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > From sudhir at cai-asia.org Sat Apr 10 14:02:05 2010 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:02:05 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Dear Prof Badami and all, It would be good if you look at Kathmandu - Nepal in 2009 planned to remove three-wheelers running on liquefied petroleum gas from the Kathmandu Valley citing problems in traffic management. The reasons cited were 1. Three-wheelers run slowly compared to other vehicles creating problems in traffic management. 2. Lack of spare parts in the domestic market, 3. misuse of cooking gas, 4. increase in pollution and 5. increased accident rates There are an estimated only 860 tempos in the valley out of which 430 are running. Kathmandu Valley is the only place where LPG-run three-wheelers are in use. The government is planning to add more diesel fueled micro-buses with 14-16 seats in the roads of Kathmandu Valley to replace 430 Gas tempos. The authorities believed that the new initiative will also help reduce environmental pollution in the valley !!! Several NGO?s opposed the move suggesting that the air quality would further deteriorate and removing three wheelers that too obly 860 would not reduce congestion. Its interesting to look at Delhi's case as there were plans of running electric vehicles including cars and RTV's to replace autos .. i wonder where people will get electricity from? there are already 2-3 hours rolling blackout every day? Sudhir On 9 April 2010 11:55, Madhav Badami, Prof. wrote: > Paul et al, > > The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the > poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at large, > but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is suspect -- > I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for the > Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that autorickshaws > and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities want to > project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative > impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and after > all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the > Guardian story ( > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws), > in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: > > "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a key > aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. But > Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was illegal. > > The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles run > on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the city > is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an > essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations or > bus stops. > > Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of the > capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural change" > before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. > > "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the city > clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and caring > for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that they > have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) > > By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high > price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an impression > that they have been to a truly civilized city?: > > http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ > > > http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html > > Madhav > > ************************************************************************ > > "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- > Antoine de Saint-Exupery > > Madhav G. Badami, PhD > School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment > Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment > McGill University > > Macdonald-Harrington Building > 815 Sherbrooke Street West > Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada > > Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) > Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 > URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning > www.mcgill.ca/mse > e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca > > ________________________________________ > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org[sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami= > mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [ > paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] > Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by > Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) > > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been > some very informative coverage. > > http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they > actually work better. > > Paul > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > -- Sudhir Gota Transport Specialist CAI-Asia Center Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 Tel: +63-2-395-2843 Fax: +63-2-395-2846 Visit our new portal: www.cleanairinitiative.org Skype : sudhirgota From cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org Mon Apr 12 09:40:50 2010 From: cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org (Cornie Huizenga) Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:40:50 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Dear All, Shanghai out-invested Beijing 2 to 1 in terms of investments for the World Expo which is opening next month. (compared to Olympics in Beijing). What did we get: - a new shining domestic air terminal; - about 3 or 4 new metro-lines (it will now be possible to travel by subway from domestic to international terminal - about 63 kilometers and about 33 stops :-) - completion of the middle ring road - a few new tunnels under the Huangpu river - physical segregation of a whole lot of bicycle lanes with fancy but strong little fences - 4000 new taxis - a new coat of paint for thousands of apartment buildings - countless new mini-parks - better sidewalks in many places In short - lots of lasting improvements. Cornie On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 6:50 AM, Karthik Rao Cavale wrote: > Connecting this thread to the Litman article on World Streets ( > > http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2010/04/vancouver-olympics-lessons-for.html > ), > it becomes apparent that major events can influence cities differently. > > Vancouver chose to implement policies that cut transportation demand to > make > up for the influx of visitors. Delhi chooses policies that promote personal > vehicles instead. > > I believe one of the few legacies of the Asian Games in 1982 in Delhi is a > flyover on Ring Road near Lajpat Nagar and Andrews Ganj. At this rate, we > must hope Delhi never wins an Olympics bid. > > On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 12:26 AM, Jains wrote: > > > Begs the question what is "good impression"? An inane attempt to imitate > or > > to make an iconic attempt. Ms Dixit would have to be God to attempt > > cultural > > change in six months' time. > > > > Micro-finance and owner-operator arrangement combined with good > regulation > > is the way to go. Auto-rickshaws in smaller Indian cities can be taken as > a > > good example. I use them often and there are couple of guys who also > > operate > > "on-demand" services (thanks to the mobile phones). > > > > Regards > > Alok > > > > On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Madhav Badami, Prof. < > > madhav.g.badami@mcgill.ca> wrote: > > > > > Paul et al, > > > > > > The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the > > > poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at > large, > > > but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is > suspect > > -- > > > I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for > the > > > Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that > autorickshaws > > > and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities want > > to > > > project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative > > > impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and > after > > > all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the > > > Guardian story ( > > > > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws > > ), > > > in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: > > > > > > "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a > > key > > > aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. > > But > > > Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was > > illegal. > > > > > > The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles > > run > > > on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the > > city > > > is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an > > > essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations > > or > > > bus stops. > > > > > > Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of > > the > > > capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural > change" > > > before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. > > > > > > "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the > city > > > clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and > > caring > > > for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that > they > > > have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) > > > > > > By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high > > > price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an > impression > > > that they have been to a truly civilized city?: > > > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html > > > > > > Madhav > > > > > > > ************************************************************************ > > > > > > "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- > > > Antoine de Saint-Exupery > > > > > > Madhav G. Badami, PhD > > > School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment > > > Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment > > > McGill University > > > > > > Macdonald-Harrington Building > > > 815 Sherbrooke Street West > > > Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada > > > > > > Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) > > > Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 > > > URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning > > > www.mcgill.ca/mse > > > e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca > > > > > > ________________________________________ > > > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@ > list.jca.apc.org > > [sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami= > > > mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [ > > > paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] > > > Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 > > > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > > > Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by > > > Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) > > > > > > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has > > been > > > some very informative coverage. > > > > > > > > > http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ > > > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ > > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 > > > > > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi > > is > > > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor > and > > > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call > to > > ban > > > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But > > > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted > > by > > > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. > > > > > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed > > > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for > > > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? > > > > > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise > taxi-like > > > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the > > solution. > > > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their > > > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking > > > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called > taxis'). > > But > > > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they > > > actually work better. > > > > > > Paul > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the > real > > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > > > > > ================================================================ > > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing > countries > > > (the 'Global South'). > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the > real > > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > > > > > ================================================================ > > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing > countries > > > (the 'Global South'). > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > > > ================================================================ > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > > (the 'Global South'). > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > -- Cornie Huizenga Joint Convener Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport Mobile: +86 13901949332 cornie.huizenga@slocatpartnership.org www.slocat.net From cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org Mon Apr 12 11:30:43 2010 From: cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org (Cornie Huizenga) Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:30:43 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Dear Karthik, No Beijing also invested a lot in public transport and general improvements to the city. (Please note that they already had 6 ringroads!) What I forgot to mention is that Shanghai has continued it vehicle licensing scheme under which the number of new license plates auctioned per month remains at about 8000 per month, at a price of about US $ 5500. While there are people registering their cars in neighboring cities it is generally accepted that numbers of new cars are well below those of Beijing (about 25,000 new registrations per month.) Cornie On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 10:16 AM, Karthik Rao Cavale wrote: > Cornie, > > Thanks. Could you tell us all how this compares to Beijing's investments > for Olympics? Did the Beijing approach more closely resemble the Delhi > approach? > > karthik > > > On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 8:40 PM, Cornie Huizenga < > cornie.huizenga@slocatpartnership.org> wrote: > >> Dear All, >> >> >> Shanghai out-invested Beijing 2 to 1 in terms of investments for the World >> Expo which is opening next month. (compared to Olympics in Beijing). What >> did we get: >> >> - a new shining domestic air terminal; >> - about 3 or 4 new metro-lines (it will now be possible to travel by >> subway from domestic to international terminal - about 63 kilometers and >> about 33 stops :-) >> - completion of the middle ring road >> - a few new tunnels under the Huangpu river >> - physical segregation of a whole lot of bicycle lanes with fancy but >> strong little fences >> - 4000 new taxis >> - a new coat of paint for thousands of apartment buildings >> - countless new mini-parks >> - better sidewalks in many places >> >> In short - lots of lasting improvements. >> >> Cornie >> >> >> On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 6:50 AM, Karthik Rao Cavale wrote: >> >>> Connecting this thread to the Litman article on World Streets ( >>> >>> http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2010/04/vancouver-olympics-lessons-for.html >>> ), >>> it becomes apparent that major events can influence cities differently. >>> >>> Vancouver chose to implement policies that cut transportation demand to >>> make >>> up for the influx of visitors. Delhi chooses policies that promote >>> personal >>> vehicles instead. >>> >>> I believe one of the few legacies of the Asian Games in 1982 in Delhi is >>> a >>> flyover on Ring Road near Lajpat Nagar and Andrews Ganj. At this rate, we >>> must hope Delhi never wins an Olympics bid. >>> >>> On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 12:26 AM, Jains wrote: >>> >>> > Begs the question what is "good impression"? An inane attempt to >>> imitate or >>> > to make an iconic attempt. Ms Dixit would have to be God to attempt >>> > cultural >>> > change in six months' time. >>> > >>> > Micro-finance and owner-operator arrangement combined with good >>> regulation >>> > is the way to go. Auto-rickshaws in smaller Indian cities can be taken >>> as a >>> > good example. I use them often and there are couple of guys who also >>> > operate >>> > "on-demand" services (thanks to the mobile phones). >>> > >>> > Regards >>> > Alok >>> > >>> > On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Madhav Badami, Prof. < >>> > madhav.g.badami@mcgill.ca> wrote: >>> > >>> > > Paul et al, >>> > > >>> > > The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of >>> the >>> > > poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at >>> large, >>> > > but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is >>> suspect >>> > -- >>> > > I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for >>> the >>> > > Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that >>> autorickshaws >>> > > and cycle-rickshaws don?t quite fit the image that the authorities >>> want >>> > to >>> > > project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their >>> negative >>> > > impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and >>> after >>> > > all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See >>> the >>> > > Guardian story ( >>> > > >>> > >>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws >>> > ), >>> > > in which the Chief Minister?s views are described as follows: >>> > > >>> > > "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is >>> a >>> > key >>> > > aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle >>> rickshaws. >>> > But >>> > > Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was >>> > illegal. >>> > > >>> > > The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the >>> vehicles >>> > run >>> > > on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the >>> > city >>> > > is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an >>> > > essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro >>> stations >>> > or >>> > > bus stops. >>> > > >>> > > Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness >>> of >>> > the >>> > > capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural >>> change" >>> > > before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. >>> > > >>> > > "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the >>> city >>> > > clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and >>> > caring >>> > > for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that >>> they >>> > > have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) >>> > > >>> > > By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high >>> > > price, all in the interests of ?the world go(ing) back with an >>> impression >>> > > that they have been to a truly civilized city?: >>> > > >>> > > http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >>> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >>> http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html >>> > > >>> > > Madhav >>> > > >>> > > >>> ************************************************************************ >>> > > >>> > > "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." >>> -- >>> > > Antoine de Saint-Exupery >>> > > >>> > > Madhav G. Badami, PhD >>> > > School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment >>> > > Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment >>> > > McGill University >>> > > >>> > > Macdonald-Harrington Building >>> > > 815 Sherbrooke Street West >>> > > Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada >>> > > >>> > > Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) >>> > > Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 >>> > > URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning >>> > > www.mcgill.ca/mse >>> > > e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca >>> > > >>> > > ________________________________________ >>> > > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@ >>> list.jca.apc.org >>> > [sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami= >>> > > mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [ >>> > > paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] >>> > > Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 >>> > > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org >>> > > Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted >>> by >>> > > Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) >>> > > >>> > > Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there >>> has >>> > been >>> > > some very informative coverage. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >>> http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ >>> > > http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ >>> > > >>> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 >>> > > >>> > > These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in >>> Delhi >>> > is >>> > > dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor >>> and >>> > > powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call >>> to >>> > ban >>> > > auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But >>> > > something clearly needs to change. These insights have been >>> highlighted >>> > by >>> > > work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi?s AMAN Trust. >>> > > >>> > > QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed >>> > > regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for >>> > > drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? >>> > > >>> > > This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise >>> taxi-like >>> > > modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the >>> > solution. >>> > > Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of >>> their >>> > > potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without >>> locking >>> > > people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called >>> taxis'). >>> > But >>> > > taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until >>> they >>> > > actually work better. >>> > > >>> > > Paul >>> > > >>> > > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit >>> > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss >>> > > >>> > > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to >>> > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the >>> real >>> > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. >>> > > >>> > > ================================================================ >>> > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, >>> > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing >>> countries >>> > > (the 'Global South'). >>> > > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit >>> > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss >>> > > >>> > > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to >>> > > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the >>> real >>> > > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. >>> > > >>> > > ================================================================ >>> > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, >>> > > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing >>> countries >>> > > (the 'Global South'). >>> > > >>> > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit >>> > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss >>> > >>> > -------------------------------------------------------- >>> > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to >>> > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the >>> real >>> > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. >>> > >>> > ================================================================ >>> > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, >>> > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing >>> countries >>> > (the 'Global South'). >>> > >>> -------------------------------------------------------- >>> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit >>> http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------- >>> If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to >>> http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real >>> sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. >>> >>> ================================================================ >>> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, >>> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries >>> (the 'Global South'). >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Cornie Huizenga >> Joint Convener >> Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport >> Mobile: +86 13901949332 >> cornie.huizenga@slocatpartnership.org >> www.slocat.net >> > > -- Cornie Huizenga Joint Convener Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport Mobile: +86 13901949332 cornie.huizenga@slocatpartnership.org www.slocat.net From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Apr 12 17:24:55 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:24:55 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Moving People: Solutions for a growing Australia Message-ID: <00d601cada19$a4510090$ecf301b0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Moving People: Solutions for a growing Australia When it comes to both old and new mobility, Australia offers an interesting case. Along with a group of countries http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbTo-M_pSuw/S7-Azde_7uI/AAAAAAAACzU/Oj6T45z79aY/s2 00/ws-australia,bus-stop.jpgthat may seem surprisingly mixed at first glance, and which would include of course the perennial United States with the spacious Canada right in its footsteps, but which also a number of the Nordic countries and in particular Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland who have followed the toxic combination of personal wealth and ubiquitous cars to the extent in which it has in many ways locked them into an all-car no-choice system, the Australian mobility pattern is right up there with the "best" of them. But life moves on and in every one of these countries you will now find a growing number of individuals and groups who are questioning the old ways. Have a look at this sample of leading edge new mobility thinking in Australia. We find it both refreshing and instructive --> The full text of this article appears in today's World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> No broadband? No problem. Find it on the Open Edition at www.open.WorldStreets.org -- > Discussions on World Streets Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldStreets (Post to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com ) Read World Streets Today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ & www.open.worldstreets.org New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 15148 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100412/72805bc3/attachment.jpe From c_bradshaw at rogers.com Wed Apr 14 01:27:37 2010 From: c_bradshaw at rogers.com (Chris Bradshaw) Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:27:37 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Is carsharing irrelevant for the Global South? References: <46E2E1971BCEC1459149FBB1A4B4342C079BF938@wricsex029330.WRI.CRM.Local><47a72ec51003250413h4efa4141s959671d58ff9fe63@mail.gmail.com><001301cacc21$86a35a80$93ea0f80$@org><683ba1ca1003262006i17e3034bgdb511c26bcd2b9b@mail.gmail.com> <46E2E1971BCEC1459149FBB1A4B4342C07A5E398@wricsex029330.WRI.CRM.Local> Message-ID: <016501cadb2b$d12d3d00$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> > 2. Or is car sharing just a kind of adaptation to car ownership, a > first, somewhat less expensive step. Sorry for not jumping in earlier. But this consideration of "carsharing" needs more attention. As to the above question, I, as a former carsharing provider, would answer no. Yes, in Canada and other western countries, driving generally is a skill one learns before the age of 20, so self-driving is more of an option. And the cost of getting the license is not high, in either money or time, so one is not likley, once the license is 'awarded,' to want to get a private car to 'amortize' those costs. However, carshare companies in Ontario don't allow those learning to drive to use their cars. (Yes, all insurance is included in the rates). But I agree with Lee and others that we must keep our eyes on the goal: to shift trips towards the small-footprint modes. Thus, Western carsharing should not appeal to the masses relying on transit and 'paratransit,' plus walking and cycling. In our part of the world, it appeals mostly to those who have owned a car for some years and find that they don't use it enough, especially after they more to a more central or more 'walkable' area where, incidentally, parking is a higher cost (or if one has a home with a parking spot, it can be rented for a good return). The comments about using driver services to get to jobs (well-paying ones because of the higher cost vs. transit) as being wasteful is correct, as well as the higher pollution costs of deadheading (where the driver is on the road with no 'payload'). The use of shared cars for this, where the shared vehicle is available during the workday for other trips, is an option that should be explored more. Carsharing should naturally be used for odd trips that cannot be done by any other mode, such as a daytrip for the family into the countryside. It also reduces the number of parking spots needed, compared to private cars. And reduces the amount of road spaces needed by the passenger-less taxis to keep moving or to wait for a 'fare' to arrive. These are issues that face all cities, but especially those that are more dense and whose citizens don't have the means to have private access to a car. Chris Bradshaw From bruun at seas.upenn.edu Wed Apr 14 05:18:51 2010 From: bruun at seas.upenn.edu (bruun at seas.upenn.edu) Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:18:51 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Is carsharing irrelevant for the Global South? In-Reply-To: <016501cadb2b$d12d3d00$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> References: <46E2E1971BCEC1459149FBB1A4B4342C079BF938@wricsex029330.WRI.CRM.Local><47a72ec51003250413h4efa4141s959671d58ff9fe63@mail.gmail.com><001301cacc21$86a35a80$93ea0f80$@org><683ba1ca1003262006i17e3034bgdb511c26bcd2b9b@mail.gmail.com> <46E2E1971BCEC1459149FBB1A4B4342C07A5E398@wricsex029330.WRI.CRM.Local> <016501cadb2b$d12d3d00$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> Message-ID: <20100413161851.20991xf1atrrdubo@webmail.seas.upenn.edu> I agree with Chris. I would add that in Philadelphia, the non-profit Philly CarShare now supplies cars to city government workers so that the city doesn't need a large fleet. It works well, as they need cars during office hours, when other people don't. Eric Bruun Quoting Chris Bradshaw : >> 2. Or is car sharing just a kind of adaptation to car ownership, a >> first, somewhat less expensive step. > > Sorry for not jumping in earlier. But this consideration of "carsharing" > needs more attention. > > As to the above question, I, as a former carsharing provider, would answer > no. Yes, in Canada and other western countries, driving generally is a > skill one learns before the age of 20, so self-driving is more of an option. > And the cost of getting the license is not high, in either money or time, so > one is not likley, once the license is 'awarded,' to want to get a private > car to 'amortize' those costs. > > However, carshare companies in Ontario don't allow those learning to drive > to use their cars. (Yes, all insurance is included in the rates). > > But I agree with Lee and others that we must keep our eyes on the goal: to > shift trips towards the small-footprint modes. Thus, Western carsharing > should not appeal to the masses relying on transit and 'paratransit,' plus > walking and cycling. In our part of the world, it appeals mostly to those > who have owned a car for some years and find that they don't use it enough, > especially after they more to a more central or more 'walkable' area where, > incidentally, parking is a higher cost (or if one has a home with a parking > spot, it can be rented for a good return). > > The comments about using driver services to get to jobs (well-paying ones > because of the higher cost vs. transit) as being wasteful is correct, as > well as the higher pollution costs of deadheading (where the driver is on > the road with no 'payload'). The use of shared cars for this, where the > shared vehicle is available during the workday for other trips, is an option > that should be explored more. > > Carsharing should naturally be used for odd trips that cannot be done by any > other mode, such as a daytrip for the family into the countryside. It also > reduces the number of parking spots needed, compared to private cars. And > reduces the amount of road spaces needed by the passenger-less taxis to keep > moving or to wait for a 'fare' to arrive. These are issues that face all > cities, but especially those that are more dense and whose citizens don't > have the means to have private access to a car. > > Chris Bradshaw > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the > real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing > countries (the 'Global South'). > > From eschlaikjer at wri.org Thu Apr 15 04:27:20 2010 From: eschlaikjer at wri.org (Erica Schlaikjer) Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:27:20 -0400 Subject: [sustran] What do you think of new BRT in Las Vegas? Message-ID: Hello all, I just wrote a summary of recent news about Las Vegas? new BRT lines. Check it out: http://thecityfix.com/brt-hits-the-las-vegas-strip/ It would be great to get an international perspective on this. * Is it a high-quality system? * How do the ACE corridors compare with other BRT systems around the world? * What do these new bus services mean for other U.S. cities? Thanks in advance for leaving your comments on TheCityFix, Erica -- Erica Schlaikjer Media Relations and Online Engagement Coordinator EMBARQ ? The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport World Resources Institute Mail: 10 G Street NE, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20002 Phone: (202) 729-7722 Fax: (202) 729-7775 Email: eschlaikjer@wri.org Website: www.EMBARQ.org Blog: www.TheCityFix.com Follow me: www.twitter.com/EMBARQNetwork www.twitter.com/TheCityFix Be our fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EMBARQNetwork From kavery at trl.co.uk Thu Apr 15 17:27:46 2010 From: kavery at trl.co.uk (Avery, Kate) Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:27:46 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: What do you think of new BRT in Las Vegas? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <01CB7B2E2E463946A2289DA7EEB22A510DD8AED31A@w3-ex2.trllimited.co.uk> Hi Erica, Las Vegas and public transportation is one of my personal favourite rants in terms of the bleak offering for visitors to the city. Great to see that the city is improving the bus systems for commuting, however my experience as a visitor and trying to avoid the taxi option is met with expensive and difficult to access alternatives, i.e. the monorail that connects MGM Grand and the Hilton etc, as you have to walk through the maze of the casinos to get to the stations. I wasn't aware of The Deuce bus route, but as the strip doesn't have a designated bus lane, from what I can remember, it must have problems in terms of reliability and long journey times compared to taxis. The only time I've taken a bus in Las Vegas was on New Year's Day when it was free and the strip was pretty empty of cars! Do you know of any plans to reorganise vehicle priority on the Las Vegas Boulevard? I assume that any would be met with strong opposition from the taxi companies!! Rgds, Kate Dr Kathryn Avery BSc Ph.D. Centre for Sustainability TRL Limited Direct: (01344) 770938 Fax: (01344) 770356 E-mail kavery@trl.co.uk www.trl.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: sustran-discuss-bounces+kavery=trl.co.uk@list.jca.apc.org [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+kavery=trl.co.uk@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Erica Schlaikjer Sent: 14 April 2010 20:27 To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org Subject: [sustran] What do you think of new BRT in Las Vegas? Hello all, I just wrote a summary of recent news about Las Vegas? new BRT lines. Check it out: http://thecityfix.com/brt-hits-the-las-vegas-strip/ It would be great to get an international perspective on this. * Is it a high-quality system? * How do the ACE corridors compare with other BRT systems around the world? * What do these new bus services mean for other U.S. cities? Thanks in advance for leaving your comments on TheCityFix, Erica -- Erica Schlaikjer Media Relations and Online Engagement Coordinator EMBARQ ? The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport World Resources Institute Mail: 10 G Street NE, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20002 Phone: (202) 729-7722 Fax: (202) 729-7775 Email: eschlaikjer@wri.org Website: www.EMBARQ.org Blog: www.TheCityFix.com Follow me: www.twitter.com/EMBARQNetwork www.twitter.com/TheCityFix Be our fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EMBARQNetwork -------------------------------------------------------- To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss -------------------------------------------------------- If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). Please consider the environment - Do you really need to print this e-mail? This e-mail, and any attachments, are confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by return and permanently delete all copies noting that any further distribution, copying or use of this e-mail, or the information therein, is prohibited. All information or opinions expressed in this e-mail or attachments are those of the author, and not necessarily those of TRL. TRL reserves the right to monitor e-mail in accordance with the Telecommunications Lawful Business Practice - Interception of Communications Regulations 2000.Registered Office: TRL, Crowthorne House, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham, Berks, UK, RG40 3GA. Registered in England, No. 3142272, VAT Registration 664 625 321 From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 15 17:31:12 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:31:12 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Why Women Bike . . . and Why They Don't Message-ID: <00f001cadc76$07d34b60$1779e220$@britton@ecoplan.org> Why Women Bike . . . and Why They Don't To follow up on yesterday's piece by Janice Turner on "dull cycling" in the UK, the ever-stylish biker April Streeter reports from Portland on a survey of why women in the US cycle, and why they do not. (And if you are a female cyclist and have views on why women cycle, or perhaps do not, in your country, let us hear from you too.) Full piece in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype newmobility From sutp at sutp.org Fri Apr 16 20:23:07 2010 From: sutp at sutp.org (SUTP Team) Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:53:07 +0530 Subject: [sustran] =?utf-8?Q?GTZ_Events_at_the_Future_of_Mobility_-_Shangh?= =?utf-8?B?YWkgRXhwbyAyMDEwIC8g5b635Zu95oqA5pyv5ZCI5L2c5rS75Yqo5Zyo5pyq?= =?utf-8?B?5p2l56e75YqoIC0gMjAxMOW5tOS4iua1t+S4luWNmuS8mg==?= Message-ID: <4BC8489B.4050802@sutp.org> ?The Future of Mobility? ? Be part of it at the Shanghai Expo on May 24th-26th, 2010 Keynote Speech by leading architect and urban planner Albert Speer ? only limited number of seats are available! The City of Bremen and GTZ are proud to present three workshops on ?The Future of Mobility? at the Bremen Stand in the Urban Best Practice Area at the Shanghai Expo from May 24th to 26th. Events are scheduled from 2 to 5 pm and are focusing on three key topics of sustainable urban transport: * Day 1 - Mon, 24th: Transport and Urban Development * Day 2 - Tue, 25th: Low Carbon Mobility for Cities * Day 3 - Wed, 26th: The Role of Electric Vehicles Experts and practitioners are developing a vision for sustainable urban mobility with a global perspective: A highlight will definitely be the speech of the architect Albert Speer on Monday 24th. The events are open for all visitors of the Expo and free of extra charges. However, as seats are limited to 80 persons, pre-registration until May 17th is highly recommended. To register please visit http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_performs&formid=3 Download a PDF of the Agenda English: http://www.sutp.org/documents/FLYR-EXPO2010-Shanghai-EN.pdf Chinese: http://www.sutp.org/documents/FLYR-EXPO2010-Shanghai-CN.pdf -------------------------------- ?????????- ???????????????????2010?5?24??26? ????????????????????Albert Speer Jr.??????? ? ??????????????? ??????????????GTZ??????German Technical Cooperation??????????????????????????????? ??????5?24??26???????????????????????? ???????????????2??5?????????????????? ??? * ??? - 5?24???????????? * ??? - 5?25??????????????? * ??? - 5?26???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ??5?24??????????????????????????????? ?????????????????80????????????5?17??? ??????????? http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_performs&formid=3 ????????????PDF??: ????: http://www.sutp.org/documents/FLYR-EXPO2010-Shanghai-EN.pdf ????: http://www.sutp.org/documents/FLYR-EXPO2010-Shanghai-CN.pdf From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Apr 16 21:37:15 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:37:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] World Streets in North America and the World: Sustainable transport indicators/lessons from? Message-ID: <01e901cadd61$8e00e530$aa02af90$@britton@ecoplan.org> World Streets in North America and the World: Sustainable transport indicators/lessons from? Our reader maps, which are updated several times a day, reveal patterns that we think are worth at least a bit of inspection and thought from time to time. Here to get us started on this is one which reports the locations of the last 80 readers to check in to World Streets from North America this afternoon. Hmm. Does it tell us anything important? Let's have a look. __,_._,__ Full piece in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype From simon.bishop at dimts.in Mon Apr 19 19:26:11 2010 From: simon.bishop at dimts.in (Simon Bishop) Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:56:11 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Attempts to cap auto rickshaw numbers an exercise in social exclusion, especially of women In-Reply-To: References: <6F850E42E4589F45AE2799F34B645C363BE0CD67@MBX06.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: <247EE4DD2AD33940B402771AC8C2CDFE41258E8F0D@dimts-exch.dimts.org> Dear Madhav, Paul, and Everyone, Any attempt to 'cap' the number of auto rickshaws in a city with inadequate public transport, rising urban sprawl and trip distances, hostile conditions to pedestrians and cyclists should be fiercely resisted. Apart from the usual argument that rationing one mode of public transport will increase congestion because more people will buy cars and motorcycles instead all things being equal. 1. WOMEN If you look at data for the gender- wise split in Delhi for transport you will see that women are more than TWICE as dependent upon auto (and even more cycle) rickshaws. According to a household survey conducted in the city in 2008, women take 48.5% of auto trips and 56.2% of cycle rickshaw trips. You have to double this to understand their true dependency on these modes as only 31% of trips in the city, according to the survey, are taken by women. According to women I have asked about their liking for autos and cycle rickshaws, they feel safer in them because they can jump out pretty fast and make a quick gettaway if necessary (another reason why central locking car taxis are not always the answer). 2. DE-LEGITIMIZING A LEGITIMATE MEANS OF MAKING A LIVING The reason why autos have a bad name in Delhi is precisely because of the cap. The rickshaw shortage allows a small group of financiers to dominate the white market where rickshaws and their permits sell for double the price (nearly 500,000 rupees instead of 250,000 rupees). This artificial cap and extortionate scarcity premium forces decent, hardworking drivers to shell out extra money to get the permit. On the other hand, for those who work in the black market they must resort to pay offs here and there or face impounding of the vehicle and the loss of the means of making a livelihood, debt and despair. For the passenger of course, she (as we have established it is normally 'she') must shell out extra to help the driver pay off the 'permit scarcity tax'. The driver will claw back the money using a number of ingenious ways, all stressful and hard going for the (normally) female user and never using the meter whose price is not updated regularly anyway, perhaps to give the customer the illusion that you can still hire a man's labor for less than 5 rupees for driving a kilometer in heavy traffic. In a farce reminiscent of a Chaucerian Tale of trickery and often worthy of anecdote around the family dinner table at the end of a hard day's toil, but no less lamentable and unnecessary nonetheless, the driver will: a) Drive as fast as possible in order to make enough to pay off the extortionate fee of the financier, often involving removing or tampering with the speed limiter to do so at a cost to the safety of himself and the occupants. b) Take drugs to enable him to work the hours necessary to pay back the financier, again at cost to himself and his passengers. c) Not take the fare as it is too low, driving off and leaving you stranded d) Exaggerate the true distance/time involved in the trip (difficult if you don't know it yourself) e) Hang out around places with a high preponderance of foreign tourists who can be persuaded to part with extra rupees since they don't know the price and "It's cheaper than a cab in London/New York/Rome, etc after all". f) 'Bring on the night' - I like this last one as it challenges the cosmic order to call for a night fare before night time begins. RESULT LOSERS = *WOMEN (MAINLY) AND THOSE NOT RICH ENOUGH TO AFFORD A CAR *MEN (POOR) WHO DRIVE THE RICKSHAWS AT AN EXTORTIONATE FEE *ENVIRONMENT - ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO GET A CAR ASAP WINNERS = FINANCIERS, POLICE, MEDIA, POLITICIANS (can make popular media statements about an 'autocracy' and how they are going to 'sort it out' using a host of more ineffectual, non-sensical punitive measures) In my view the role of a regulator and police should be to stick to looking after the public costs (safety, environment). Is that right or am I missing something? Simon -----Original Message----- From: sustran-discuss-bounces+simon.bishop=dimts.in@list.jca.apc.org [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+simon.bishop=dimts.in@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Madhav Badami, Prof. Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 9:26 AM To: Paul Barter; sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org Subject: [sustran] Re: Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) Paul et al, The auto-rickshaw sector does need to be regulated, for the sake of the poor operators as well as the passengers, as well as the public at large, but the motivation for banning them or limiting their numbers, is suspect -- I fear it has more to do with sprucing up the city in preparation for the Commonwealth circus that's shortly coming to town (and that autorickshaws and cycle-rickshaws don't quite fit the image that the authorities want to project to foreign visitors) than any real concern about their negative impacts in terms of, for example, congestion or air pollution (and after all, in Delhi, they all run on CNG, supposedly a "clean" fuel). See the Guardian story (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/delhi-plans-ban-autorickshaws), in which the Chief Minister's views are described as follows: "Dikshit has repeatedly said that making Delhi a world-class city is a key aim. The city has already tried to limit the number of cycle rickshaws. But Delhi's high court ruled last month that capping their numbers was illegal. The defenders of the motorised versions point out that, as the vehicles run on compressed natural gas, their contribution to air pollution in the city is minimal compared with cars. Others argue that rickshaws fulfil an essential function in ferrying people short distances to metro stations or bus stops. Dikshit has another Delhi icon in her sights: the famous brusqueness of the capital's inhabitants. She hopes to bring about a major "cultural change" before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth games this autumn. "We have to do some things that are extremely basic like keeping the city clean, giving our citizens the culture of politeness and sharing and caring for each other, so that the world goes back with an impression that they have been to a truly civilized city," she said." (End of quote) By the way, the urban poor in Delhi are sadly also paying a very high price, all in the interests of "the world go(ing) back with an impression that they have been to a truly civilized city": http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262987 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-slams-mcd-for-razing-slums-in-games-runup/572302/ http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/politics-and-policy/295-in-the-name-of-the-games.html Madhav ************************************************************************ "As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery Madhav G. Badami, PhD School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment Associate Director of Graduate Affairs, McGill School of Environment McGill University Macdonald-Harrington Building 815 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work) Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643 URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning www.mcgill.ca/mse e-mail: madhav.badami@mcgill.ca ________________________________________ From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org [sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Paul Barter [paulbarter@nus.edu.sg] Sent: 08 April 2010 20:20 To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org Subject: [sustran] Taxi modes better regulation? (question prompted by Delhi Auto-Rickshaw strike) Delhi's auto-rickshaws have been out on strike this week and there has been some very informative coverage. http://thecityfix.com/a-day-without-auto-rickshaws-inconvenience-intimidation-and-corruption/ http://kafila.org/2010/04/02/the-truth-behind-the-strike/ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autometers-for-the-people/594330/4 These items highlight the fact that the auto-rickshaw industry in Delhi is dominated by a 'financier mafia', while drivers remain extremely poor and powerless. The unions are also dominated by the financiers. The call to ban auto-rickshaws by Delhi's Chief Minister is not helpful perhaps. But something clearly needs to change. These insights have been highlighted by work by Simon Harding, who is interning with Delhi's AMAN Trust. QUESTION: Does anyone know how Delhi could do better? What reformed regulatory framework for auto-rickshaws in Delhi could do better for drivers, for customers and for the city as a whole? This relates to the wider question of how to regulate/organise taxi-like modes (including conventional taxis) to make them more part of the solution. Here on sustran-discuss a few weeks back there was discussion of their potential and role as 'shared cars' that offer mobility without locking people into vehicle ownership (under the theme 'they are called taxis'). But taxi-like modes will not be viewed positively in many places until they actually work better. Paul -------------------------------------------------------- To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss -------------------------------------------------------- If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). -------------------------------------------------------- To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss -------------------------------------------------------- If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 22 03:48:35 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:48:35 +0200 Subject: [sustran] The End of Climate? Hello Professor Krugman. Message-ID: <02e401cae183$46b01270$d4103750$@britton@ecoplan.org> Engaging the battle to mitigate climate change is one of the fundamental driving principles behind World Streets, since we have taken it as our main metric for remedial action in the transport sector, which as you all know accounts for something like 20% +/-5% of all GHG emissions. By "metric" we mean that the climate emergency calls for sharp near-term reductions in emissions, and it just so happens that the transport sector is extremely well placed to do its part. But in light of recent attacks on the part of climate deniers, what is the score? Should we now give up on our climate metric? Let us hear what Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science, has to say about it. Full piece freely available in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype newmobility From sudhir at cai-asia.org Thu Apr 22 12:55:00 2010 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:55:00 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Cartoons as a Mass Communication Strategy for Sustainable Transport Message-ID: Hi all, I managed to scan last two years of times of India newspaper to collate transport related cartoons. I believe editorial cartoons provide a great way of communicating ideas to general public and create lasting impression and thus resulting in better outreach see http://cai-asia.blogspot.com/2010/04/cartoons-as-mass-communication-strategy.html regards, Sudhir Gota Transport Specialist CAI-Asia Center Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 Tel: +63-2-395-2843 Fax: +63-2-395-2846 Visit our new portal: www.cleanairinitiative.org Skype : sudhirgota From sunny.enie at gmail.com Thu Apr 22 13:09:27 2010 From: sunny.enie at gmail.com (Sunny Kodukula) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:39:27 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Cartoons as a Mass Communication Strategy for Sustainable Transport In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4BCFCBF7.1010307@googlemail.com> Great work Sudhir. I agree that Cartoons are a nice way to express a message as, not only the editorials but any kind of a cartoon i. they are funny ii. easy to understand irrespective of age and iii. can cover a wider range of audience I hope most of our readers might know Andy Singer's cartoons the link is http://cagle.msnbc.com/news/singerCars/ and they indeed spread a wonderful message. cheers sunny On 22-04-2010 09:25, Sudhir wrote: > Hi all, > > I managed to scan last two years of times of India newspaper to collate > transport related cartoons. I believe editorial cartoons provide a great way > of communicating ideas to general public and create lasting impression and > thus resulting in better outreach > > see > http://cai-asia.blogspot.com/2010/04/cartoons-as-mass-communication-strategy.html > > regards, > Sudhir Gota > Transport Specialist > CAI-Asia Center > Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, > ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City > Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 > Tel: +63-2-395-2843 > Fax: +63-2-395-2846 > Visit our new portal: www.cleanairinitiative.org > Skype : sudhirgota > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). > From sguttikunda at gmail.com Thu Apr 22 22:16:30 2010 From: sguttikunda at gmail.com (Sarath Guttikunda) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:46:30 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Cartoons as a Mass Communication Strategy for Sustainable Transport In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear All, indeed, agree with Sudhir, that cartoon form has been quick at delivering environmental messages. Here is a primer on air quality management, launched in 2008, and now, besides the universities and some government bodies, it is distributed at schools for a quick 101 on air pollution. http://www.urbanemissions.info/images/UEI/a%20primer%20on%20aqm%20-%20by%20guttikunda.pdf Recently, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, gave permission to pilot a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the city. I wrote a piece, but the cartoon by the environmental cartoonist Marc Roberts, says more than that. See @ http://www.marcrobertscartoons.com/index.php?globalid=2019 With regards, Sarath -- Sarath Guttikunda New Delhi, India Phone: +91 9891 315 946 @ http://www.urbanemissions.info @ http://www.dri.edu/People/Sarath.Guttikunda/ On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Sudhir wrote: > Hi all, > > I managed to scan last two years of times of India newspaper to collate > transport related cartoons. I believe editorial cartoons provide a great > way > of communicating ideas to general public and create lasting impression and > thus resulting in better outreach > > see > > http://cai-asia.blogspot.com/2010/04/cartoons-as-mass-communication-strategy.html > > regards, > Sudhir Gota > Transport Specialist > CAI-Asia Center > Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, > ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City > Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 > Tel: +63-2-395-2843 > Fax: +63-2-395-2846 > Visit our new portal: www.cleanairinitiative.org > Skype : sudhirgota > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real > sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 22 22:31:01 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:31:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] vacuum cleaner in the middle of the city In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <004101cae220$0ec8c530$2c5a4f90$@britton@ecoplan.org> Don't laugh. Such a proposal was actually studied, proposed and initially funded here in Paris in the early seventies. It was a project of the prolific inventor of the Aerotrain, among others, the genial French inventor Jean Bertin. Old soldiers never die. Best/Eric Eric Britton | WorldStreets.org | NewMobility.org | Paris | +331 7550 3788 | Skype: newmobility From simon.bishop at dimts.in Thu Apr 22 14:22:43 2010 From: simon.bishop at dimts.in (Simon Bishop) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:52:43 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Good Investigative Journalism into Auto Overcharging in Delhi Message-ID: <247EE4DD2AD33940B402771AC8C2CDFE4125A9F9D5@dimts-exch.dimts.org> Dear Sustrans Colleagues, Following on from my posting a few days ago on the economics of autos in Delhi, I thought you would be interested to read this collection of articles assembled by the Times of India investigating the reasons behind autos overcharging. It basically backs up the points I was making about winners and losers, but does not identify the gender issue. Hope you enjoy reading the articles. Simon The Times of India [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] Date: 21-04-2010 | Edition: Delhi | Page: 04 [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image002.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image003.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image004.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image005.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image006.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image007.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] SCRAP SCHEME [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0]Why autos have hefty price tag [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] Atul Thakur & Amin Ali | TIG [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] It's the replacement scheme that has given autorickshaws a hefty price tag, says Yash Pal Arora. We got the reply to Om Prakash Tiwari's RTI application seeking information about how the transport department scrapped autorickshaws. Tiwari and Arora allege the monopoly of one contractor is responsible for the owner receiving only Rs 5,000 for getting his auto scrapped. A 2008 transport department circular states there should be no restriction on replacement of vehicles even before the expiry of its life - 15 years as laid down by the SC, meaning that an autorickshaw can be replaced even in the first few years. All parts of the auto too have to be intact when it comes for getting scrapped; otherwise the contractor deducts an amount - technically meaning that a missing part may result in deduction of, for instance, Rs 500. However, the same part, if intact, will fetch him the price of scrap, which may be less than even Rs 50. But why would a person replace an auto for Rs 5,000 when he has spent lakhs and on what basis does the contractor decide the amount paid for scrap? The RTI response indicates that parts of the vehicle are pulled out before it's scrapped. The vehicle is then sold on the basis of scrap earning the driver only Rs 5,000 while the contractor sells its parts in the market, alleges Tiwari. In two RTIs filed by Tiwari and Rakesh Agarwal, the transport department informed them that they had lost the file regarding the terms and conditions on which the scrapping company will repay the auto owner. But what does all this have to do with the escalating price of autos? Replacing autos at any age is a win-win situation for everyone - the manufacturer is selling autos, the financiers are getting the price of a new auto, the scrapping unit contractor is making money and the transport officials are also getting their share, says Arora. The SC decision on the cap initiated the trading in permits. Then came the 15-year age limit and CNG autorickshaws. These two decisions changed the ownership pattern. The auto owners had to take loans from the market and the financiers came into picture. In the early 2000s, the interest rate was 24% and naturally many owners got caught in the debt trap. The missing EMIs and the penalties resulted in loans ballooning to lakhs and the permits were bought for this unpaid loan and some extra money. Then came the replacement scheme and by now a majority of the autos were controlled by the financiers. A permit holder already owing lakhs of rupees to the financier was offered more money and the permits were bought and the price went up to Rs 2.8 lakh. Remember, the financiers also have snatched autos or autos on which they have got a settlement from the previous owner. So if any new person wishes to buy a new auto, the snatched auto is sent for scrapping. The financier has paid Rs 2.8 lakh for the permit, which added to the Rs 1.3 lakh official price of an auto and the bribes paid to officials brings the price to about Rs 4.5 lakh. If we assume the average price of the permit to be Rs 2 lakh and considering 20,000 autos have been replaced between 2007 and 2009, it works out to Rs 400 crore, which is all financiers' black money earning them Rs 1.47 lakh per annum, tax-free, says Nagpal. toireporter@timesgroup.com [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image008.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] THE ECONOMY [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0]Owns 91 autos, has resettlement colony address! [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] Atul Thakur & Amin Ali | TIG [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] We analysed the registration data of 17,932 autos in the K and L series and discovered that only 27% are registered to a single owner while the remaining 73% had multiple owners. Because of the irregularity in the database, we had to make some assumptions. For instance, Manjeet Singh becomes Man Jeet Singh, Manjeet, Manjeet Singh Luthra, M S Luthra with all of them living in the same house. Similarly, 23 Vikram Nagar changes to 23 Virat Nagar, and coincidentally the person living at both addresses will have the same name and have an auto registered under his name. We have counted most of these easily distinguishable cases as the same person and the same address. Extrapolating the data from these nearly 18,000 autos to the 55,000 autos presumed to be in Delhi, it works out that only 14,777 are singleowner autos. If we deduct 5,000 autos which would be single-owner autos free from financiers, 9,777 autos would be single-owner financed autos. Of the remaining, we assumed that like the 9,916 autos of the DL1RK series (see story one), 99% of the autos were financed. Based on media reports and inputs from various auto drivers and experts, we estimated that nearly 35,000 autos in Delhi ply on two shifts employing 70,000 drivers and the remaining 20,000 are either owner-driven or driven by only one driver totalling 90,000 which is close to the estimated figure of 1 lakh auto drivers in Delhi. Based on inputs from the industry and a report of a government expert committee, we worked out that an average auto makes 10 trips per day in which 120km is covered with the passengers shelling out about Rs 750 against the meter rate of around Rs 600. Similarly, the earnings of a 24-hour auto (run on shifts) is Rs 950 while a evening/night time auto earns Rs 650 from the passengers. Assuming that two and oneshift autos are evenly distributed among all types of owners, we calculated the total revenue of the auto industry which worked out to a staggering Rs 1,958 crore, equivalent to nearly half of the Delhi government's budget allocation to the transport sector. Of this Rs 1,958 crore, the owners get Rs 814 crore while the drivers earn Rs 615 crore. Considering the standard rate of overcharging, which is nearly 20% above the meter, Delhiites pay Rs 326 crore extra which is nearly half of the drivers' earning. Now considering multiple autorickshaws owners, it works out that if a person owns three or more autos, his monthly income is about Rs 31,000 which goes up to Rs 8.5 lakh for 69 autos, which is the average number of autos owned by people owning more than 50 autos each. So, who are these multiple auto owners? We analysed the registration number data of nearly 20,000 autos and found that 17 out of the 39 addresses having more than 40 auto registrations are in lower middle class or resettlement colonies. It stretches credulity a little to believe that a person owning 91 autos lives in a resettlement colony. Clearly, there is some problem with the government data or these owners are linked to the financier. Doing a random check of the addresses of a financier, we found that 31 autos are registered to the same address. Perhaps the officials of Delhi government's anti-corruption bureau should have questioned these people, instead of raiding random financiers and reporting that they could not find them. At the very least, the government should be able to question these people on how they managed to own so many autos and how much tax they pay. toireporter@timesgroup.com [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image009.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image010.jpg@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] [cid:image001.gif@01CAE209.EF6F43F0] -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 807 bytes Desc: image001.gif Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image001.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4904 bytes Desc: image002.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image002.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8613 bytes Desc: image003.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image003.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 60254 bytes Desc: image004.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image004.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image005.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 14112 bytes Desc: image005.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image005.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image006.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 52851 bytes Desc: image006.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image006.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image007.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 297396 bytes Desc: image007.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image007.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image008.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 30713 bytes Desc: image008.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image008.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image009.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 21535 bytes Desc: image009.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image009.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image010.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 18402 bytes Desc: image010.jpg Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20100422/53089423/image010.jpg From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 24 00:44:50 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:44:50 +0200 Subject: [sustran] EMBARQ Seeks New Director Message-ID: <01b501cae2fb$eb326ea0$c1974be0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser. EMBARQ cts-mexico cts-brasil sum-turkiye cst-india ctss-andino announcing April 19, 2010 The global search has begun! EMBARQ seeks a new director to lead its worldwide team. dotted-rule EMBARQ is looking for a new director to convene, develop and strengthen a global network of Centers for Sustainable Transport based in Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey and the Andean Region, which are focused on implementing concrete changes to improve mobility in many of the world?s most important cities, in coordination with a Washington, D.C.-based team of distinguished experts. Interested? Apply now! Or pass this job description along to your friends and colleagues: http://www.embarq.org/en/embarq-director To learn more about the future of EMBARQ, read this special message from outgoing EMBARQ Director Nancy Kete, whose last day is May 14. Clayton Lane, EMBARQ?s Chief Operating Officer, is leading the transition and will serve as the acting director. To suggest potential candidates, please write to us at embarq@wri.org hr The EMBARQ Network The EMBARQ global network catalyzes environmentally and financially sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. Since 2002, the network has grown to include five Centers for Sustainable Transport, located in Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey and the Andean Region, that work together with local transport authorities to reduce pollution, improve public health, and create safe, accessible and attractive urban public spaces. The network employs more than 60 experts in fields ranging from architecture to air quality management; geography to journalism; and sociology to civil and transport engineering. EMBARQ.org Careers Events Staff News Privacy Policy | Email Preferences EMBARQ - The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport 10 G Street, NE | Suite 800 | Washington, DC | 20002 sign-up fwd CONNECT WITH US: RSS feed Facebook Twitter Flickr YouTube Vimeo World Resource Institute www.wri.org From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 24 01:55:52 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:55:52 +0200 Subject: [sustran] The future for roads in 2050 - Australian perspectives on sustainable transportation Message-ID: <01f801cae305$d9fcb780$8df62680$@britton@ecoplan.org> The future for roads in 2050 - Australian perspectives on sustainable transportation - Several days ago Peter Newman of Infrastructure Australia and Professor of Sustainability at the Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute was asked by the Sydney Morning Herald what the future for roads was going to look like in Australia in 2050. He gave them this: Article freely available in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype newmobility From richmond at alum.mit.edu Mon Apr 26 14:52:30 2010 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan Richmond) Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:52:30 +0600 (Central Asia Standard Time) Subject: [sustran] Bus network/Regulatory system reform Message-ID: Hello from Dhaka, where we are moving forward with major efforts to improve the public transport system. We are awaiting proposals to develop a BRT system, and are now requesting Expressions of Interest for a related assignment to redesign Dhaka's bus network, improve its bus fleet, and reform its regulatory system and fare structure. I hope some of you might be interested in involvement with this project. I am including the text of our short advert below. Please be in touch if you would like to receive any further information. As before, I am prepared to announce the availability of individuals to a professional mailing list to help you get associated with an appropriate team. Best, --Jonathan! 1. Introduction The People?s Republic of Bangladesh has received a credit from the International Development Association (ida) towards the cost of the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (case) Project to be implemented by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (dtcb) in coordination with other government entities, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultancy services for a bus network and regulatory reform implementation study and design work for bus and related human hauler and rickshaw services with Dhaka area local and suburban operations. 2. Background There are currently approximately 103 bus and minibus urban routes operating in Dhaka, with an additional 38 ?human hauler? (passenger carriage mounted on pickup truck) lines and a half million cycle rickshaws. Intense congestion slows bus operations, while no central bus service planning system currently exists. 3. Scope of Tasks/Service The consultants will: ? Review existing institutional and operational arrangements and evaluate a: The range of desirable new institutional/regulatory/licensing frameworks, business models and route/service restructuring options available for application to Dhaka area public transport. b: Those options that have a high probability of successful implementation within one year, 2-4 years, and 5 or more years, given industry, governmental and political constraints. ? Conduct a consensus process to identify preferred options. ? Provide detailed organizational, managerial and regulatory system design together with detailed route/service designation/planning and specification of bus system service standards and criteria for operator selection including transition arrangements. ?For any franchising proposal, designate franchise packages. ? Identify any legislative actions required for implementation. ? Designate an implementation plan and schedule. ? Provide Client training in key technical/software and managerial procedures. ? Maintain a presence in Dhaka to oversee initial stages of implementation for the short term reforms as designated by the consensus process. In connection with bus route structure redesign consultants will: ? Develop an information system for use on this assignment and for future client use. ? Collect any required new data and conduct needed forecasting. ? Recommend strategies for reform of bus flow/stop/terminal arrangements. ? Recommend traffic management and bus priority measures. ? Recommend a basis for calculating fares and an integrated fare structure, and supply software for fare assignment. ? Recommend strategies for fleet replacement. ? Undertake a simplified environmental and social assessment in compliance with the Environmental and Social Management Framework developed for the case project. 4. Qualification/ Selection Criteria The project director now invites consulting firms to express their interest in providing the above services. The eois will be reviewed on the following basis to prepare a shortlist: ? Registration of the firm ? Availability of appropriate skills among staff ? Demonstrated capacity to handle such assignments in terms of resources ? Experience in similar tasks 5. Associations Applicants may associate to enhance their qualifications but should clearly/ explicitly mention whether the association is in the form of a ?Joint Venture? or ?Sub- consultancy.? In the case of a ?Joint Venture,? all members must have real and well defined inputs to the assignment, and it is preferable to limit the total number of firms including associates to a maximum of 3 (three). 6. Selection Procedures The consulting firm will be selected in accordance with procedures set out in the World Bank?s guidelines, Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers May 2004, Revised October 2006. A maximum of six firms will be initially shortlisted according to evidence of their understanding of the tasks to be performed and capacity to perform them in terms of appropriate expertise and experience along with a demonstrated ability to apply creativity to address complex problems in the Dhaka local context. 7. Commencement of Service It is expected that the service will commence in October 2010 at Dhaka, Bangladesh. 8. Further Information Further details and instructions should be obtained from http://www.dtcb.gov.bd or by email to the project director from whom background documents are also available. 9. Submission Due Date Expressions of Interest (eoi) for the above study must be delivered to the address below by 26 May 2010 at 5 pm. The envelopes must be clearly marked ?eoi for Bus Network/Regulatory Reform in Dhaka.? 10. Right to Select/Reject The procuring entity reserves the right to accept or reject all eois. Project Director, piu, dtcb, Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (case) Project, Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (dtcb), 13/14th Floor, Nagar Bhaban, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh. Telephone: +8802-9569262 Fax: +8802-9568892 Email: rahman2005@gmail.com ----- Jonathan Richmond Public Transport Advisor Dhaka Transport Coordination Board Ministry of Communications Government of Bangladesh Nagar Bhaban, 13-14th Floor Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh Phone: +880 (0)1714 179013 Fax: +880 (0)2 956-8892 e-mail: richmond@alum.mit.edu http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Apr 28 18:41:48 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:41:48 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Prisoner of car? (Note from Communications 101) Message-ID: <00d001cae6b7$0a348c20$1e9da460$@britton@ecoplan.org> Prisoner of car? (Note from Communications 101) If it is your firm belief that God is on our side (Gott mit uns) and that we are winning the battle of sustainable transport and sustainable lives, you will probably have little use for anything that might show up on a popular environmental site like TreeHugger. But hey! we are losing, so we need to be prepared to use every trick, talent and channel we can lay our hands on. Here is a piece that appeared in TreeHugger last week that will tell you, dear reader, nothing you do not already know -- but it is the telling of it that is the point. Let me put that in other words: we have plenty to learn from them when it comes to getting our message across to the general public. And that includes thee . . . and me. Drive No More: 6 Alternatives to Your Car Article freely available in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype newmobility __,_._,___ From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 29 18:49:55 2010 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:49:55 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Can we count of "alternative fuels" to save the world? Message-ID: <00ba01cae781$56258f60$0270ae20$@britton@ecoplan.org> Can we count of "alternative fuels" to save the world? Here we have an unusually perceptive piece from a specialist in chaos theory who helps us make sense of the "alternative fuels" proposals and claims. It is good to have Tom Konrad's hardheaded view not only on the potential role and limitations of alternative fuels in our future transportation arrangements, but also this opportunity to ponder his grim bet on a "pessimistic, high-technology future", which he sees as a pattern of lurching from crisis to crisis while cobbling together make-do solutions which leave us as still basically functioning but not all that much more. That I am afraid is the face of the future unless we are able to find the vision and leadership to do otherwise. The Methadone Economy Article freely available in World Streets today at www.WorldStreets.org Discussion in New Mobility Forum. Post to NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 7550 3788| Skype newmobility