28 November 2006 As an Indian I can see why China has taken the decision to ban electric bikes. For Asian countries, particularly those with booming economies, cars have become an extension of a person's identity and a visual symbol of his upward mobile position in society. For years we have been living in conditions of the controlled economy. A Bajaj (Italian Vespa design) scooter had a waiting period of 7 to 8 years.   Now after liberalization of the economy and "steroids" in form of new opportunities created by globalization, incomes of middle class Indian (and I guess Chinese too) have shot up to levels unimaginable only a few decades back. Although this is a very minute percentage of the total population, sheer numbers makes this an economic force that has a strong impact on society and its values. Through centuries gone by, Indians were sustained by a strong spiritual foundation. Righteous living had a higher value than possession of wealth. This is fast changing especially in the urban areas where not just money but also the consumerist culture fuelled by the communications and entertainment industry is creating a situation where one's possessions become objects to be displayed and indeed determine a person's worth.   I'm sure this is not unique to Asia. Europe went through a similar change after the Industrial Revolution, but that change was far slower, taking over a century to reach levels of consumption and resource depletion that began to threaten the environment. In the emerging Asian countries this change telescoped into a much shorter time-span, is making the impact far more devastating to society as well as to the environment. The result is more frightening now because we have woken up (even if late in the day) to the serious issues of environment and sustainability.   This is why NGOs like ours, working in environment, sustainability, governance and democracy feel the need for urgent action driven by awareness – of the masses as well as of the decision makers. We are trying to highlight that that this unsustainable path cannot work in the long run. Global Warming, Greenhouse gasses, depletion of resources, peaking of fossil fuel production, poisoning our air, water and food, destruction of nature and urban heritage are all signs that we are living dangerously and unsustainably. We must take note of this and not behave irresponsibly as the richer Western Nations did (and largely continue to do). We can either learn from their mistakes or fall in the same trap and waste more money and time to come out of it and repair the damage.   And in spite of all odds we are optimistic, as some lessons are reaching home and we are even if slowly, beginning to see that auto-centric development is not the answer. It has not worked anywhere in the world, and it will certainly not work in Asia with its heavy burden of large populations, widespread poverty and limited financial resources. In the context of Transport policies and planning, Public Transport, Non-motorized modes of transport, protection of open spaces, public spaces, green lung areas, urban forests, natural assets and livable cities should be the goals for our cities. And these goals are incompatible with a city "driven" by the personal auto vehicle.     <div>On 11/22/06, Lloyd Wright <<a href="mailto:lfwright@usa.net">lfwright@usa.net</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39099/story.htm">http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39099/story.htm</a> China's Easy Riders Deride Electric Bike Ban ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHINA: November 22, 2006 BEIJING - A ban on battery-powered bicycles in the southern China city of Guangzhou has left tens of thousands of owners grounded without compensation and angered vendors who face lost business, local media reported on Tuesday. The ban, effective a day after police announced it last week but allowing a "15-day education period", was aimed at preventing electric-powered bikes from becoming "the main mode of transport", Xinhua reported. "If such bikes are permitted, this will certainly rapidly increase the burden on roads," Xinhua quoted police as saying. Guangzhou, a booming Pearl River Delta city of about 10 million often choked with traffic jams, was China's fifth-fastest growing car market in the first half of 2006, state media has reported. The city has about 870,000 cars, Xinhua reported last week, growing at about 150,000 every year. Police also cited safety concerns and the inability to effectively enforce traffic regulations on electric-bike riders. "These riders have never received any special riding training or tests, so their driving skills are very difficult to guarantee." Police added that compensation would not be given to bike owners as they had been urged "through the media" not to buy bikes and in any case, the Guangzhou government had "never permitted" them. At least 100,000 residents ride electric bikes every day in Guangzhou, which at 1,000-3,000 yuan (US$125-US$380) are a cheap and increasingly popular form of transport in Chinese cities. But several local governments have banned the bikes which require no licence and are exempt from registration fees. Beijing has confined electric bikes to its outer suburbs, although riders regularly flout the regulation. Over 100 electric bike manufacturers, vendors and riders held a rally in a Guangzhou hotel to protest the ban, the Yangcheng Evening News, a Guangzhou daily, reported. "Allow the orderly and healthy development of electric bicycles and don't simply kill them off!" the paper quoted protesters as saying. The group issued a joint communique, saying the authorities "had not fully consulted the will of the people". Construction Ministry Vice Minister Qiu Baoxing earlier this year slammed city planners for pandering to private car owners and ignoring the needs of ordinary pedal cyclists, saying China should remain the "kingdom of bicycles". Qiu lamented that some Chinese cities were cutting back on bicycle lanes in order to make more room for cars, even as some Western cities were building more lanes for cyclists. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE -------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. Please go to <a href="http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss"> http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss</a> to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). </blockquote></div> -- ------------------------------------------------------ Sujit Patwardhan <a href="mailto:sujit@vsnl.com">sujit@vsnl.com</a> <a href="mailto:sujitjp@gmail.com"> sujitjp@gmail.com</a> "Yamuna", ICS Colony, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411 007 India Tel: 25537955 ----------------------------------------------------- Hon. Secretary: Parisar <a href="http://www.parisar.org"> www.parisar.org</a> ------------------------------------------------------ Founder Member: PTTF (Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum) <a href="http://www.pttf.net">www.pttf.net</a> ------------------------------------------------------