From igfr at igfr.org Sat Apr 1 17:59:39 2000 From: igfr at igfr.org (Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR)) Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000 16:59:39 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000401165939.00864b80@mail.mpx.com.au> I agree with Mohsin Sarker 'that automobile is such a transportation mode that no other mode can provide such utility/convenience to user'. Particularly in an era of 'demassification' to borrow a term from Toffler, where journey patterns are probably becoming more irregular. Reducing the number of cars on the road might be more successful through incentives (eg fun mass bike-riding days) than disincentives, (even-odd days, fuel taxes, tolls etc) which as people have pointed out, favour the wealthy. We should look to reduce people's need to commute (also already mentioned). Also, of course, we must plan for concentrated nodes of pedestrian-based urban development so the majority of services are available within walking distance (also often mentioned). Another approach that does not seem to have been discussed is to reverse the trend (in wealthy countries at least) toward huge 4WDs, in favor of small light vehicles. Ultra Light Vehicles Suppose we had a system of Ultra Light Vehicles (ULVs) with protective roll bars etc, maximum speed 30km/hr. The vehicles could be so light you could pick them (eg 80kg compared to 1000kg). Each ULV, only 1.3m long, 1.4m high, 900mm wide (wheel base 1.3m wide) could take only one person but several could be linked together to take a family, or goods. They would be electric-powered, noiseless, pollution-free, and could be plugged into recharge points at parking spaces all over the city. The ULVs could have a relatively wide wheel base so they would very difficult to roll. They would be painted irridescent colours so easily seen. They would use special lanes until they became the norm when heavier vehicles would have to use special lanes. Roads could then have up to double the number of lanes for the same width of road. They could be made mostly out of recyclable plastic and rubber. The wheels could be narrow and hard (more efficient). On main routes, ULVs could hook into tracks that provide both power and steerage. Tunnels for such a small, slower, non-polluting vehicle could be constructed at a fraction of the cost of conventional tunnels. Standards on maximum height of ULVs could mean passovers need only be 2m high. Thus the ease of traffic flow could more than make up for the slower traveling speed. Energy consumption could be reduced by factor 10, as could materials use in both vehicles and roads. The modular approach would also reduce excess capacity wastage for single-person journeys. Relatively ubiquitous rental stops would allow people to pick up a ULV and drop it off at another rental stop. The cost to rent a ULV might be approx $4 per hour. The cost to buy a ULV new might be approx $2,000. Commuters might be able to lease out their vehicle to rental companies while they are working. Seats may have a telescoped base which allows elevation for easier entry and exit. Types of ULVs already exist such as lambrettas, motorised tri-shaws, golf-buggies, and a new range of vehicles now found in holiday resorts designed for localised sightseeing. Perhaps what we need is a range of inducements to get more people using ULVs. A high proportion of people in developing countries use motorbikes, and thus there is already a very efficient transport system. The main problems that remain here are safety, air-pollution and noise pollution. Does anyone know what the latest is on the Tulip Project in Paris ? 'However, a system which is expected to be introduced into Paris by the year 2000, known as Tulip, will provide tiny 2-seater electric vehicles which are publicly-owned and maintained and available for subscribers of the system. The Tulipmobiles will be available from numerous stations around the city where their batteries can also be recharged while waiting for the next user. The system is being developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen.' I'd be interested in any feedback. Geoff Holland. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 1 17:44:12 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 10:44:12 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Reducing number of cars on the road In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20000401165939.00864b80@mail.mpx.com.au> Message-ID: Mr. Holland wrote on this date: 'However, a system which is expected to be introduced into Paris by the year 2000, known as Tulip, will provide tiny 2-seater electric vehicles which are publicly-owned and maintained and available for subscribers of the system.' Good luck in finding a Tulip or anything like it in Paris in 2000. Whatever you may have read on that project seems entirely out of touch with reality. For some background on the situation on car-based experimentation and practice in Paris - which until July of last year did have an EV component in the suburb of Saint-Quentin - check out @World Carsharing at http://www.ecoplan.org/carshare/. As to the unique qualities of cars, which indeed we need to find some way to factor into the city transport scene in the rich countries (but not just any old way), you will also find there some thoughts and background on that as well. And if you want to get a good picture of how all these bits and pieces can be made to fit together, at least within the OECD countries, and you have to chose just one place to visit for a reality check, try Zurich. (Also on the site.) I hope this helps you. From sustran at po.jaring.my Sat Apr 1 18:01:16 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000 17:01:16 +0800 Subject: [sustran] SUSTRAN Web site now up and running Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000401170116.007faac0@relay101.jaring.my> Dear friends After many teething problems, the SUSTRAN network web site has now been revamped and the bugs ironed out. If you have not visited recently please take another look at http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran You will now find a wealth of information on transport issues in developing countries (or the "Global South"). For example, all SUSTRAN News Flashes are now archived on the site. The web archive of sustran-discuss can also be viewed within the site. There is a long list of useful information resources and a growing collection of relevant links. The site is also searchable. We will be updating, improving and expanding it progressively. We try to have something of interest for both NGOs and academics/professionals. Your feedback and suggestions are most welcome, as always. Paul A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 1 18:15:57 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 11:15:57 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Re: SUSTRAN Web site now up and running In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20000401170116.007faac0@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: Brilliant Paul. Sincerest congratulations. Eric From j.sumabrata at pgrad.unimelb.edu.au Sat Apr 1 21:53:46 2000 From: j.sumabrata at pgrad.unimelb.edu.au (Jachrizal Sumabrata) Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000 22:53:46 +1000 Subject: [sustran] Re:SUSTRAN Web site now up and running References: Message-ID: <38E5F159.C34C9991@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au> Halloo Paul, Congratulation. excellent and useful web. Jack From sustran at po.jaring.my Sun Apr 2 09:33:03 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 08:33:03 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: Delhi bans old buses Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000402083303.00802920@relay101.jaring.my> Hmmm. I guess a lot of people in Delhi will need to ride bicycles on Monday if they can, even though Delhi in April is starting to get very hot! ------------------------------ BBC World News Saturday, 1 April, 2000, 18:20 GMT 19:20 UK Delhi bans old buses The Delhi authorities have complied with an order to withdraw from service thousands of buses over eight years old - half the city's fleet - despite a plea from transport operators. The old buses, which run on unrefined diesel, are seen as a major source of pollution. They are to be replaced by vehicles using more environmentally-friendly compressed natural gas. The order also affects taxis and auto-rickshaws of a similar age. A last-minute bid by the city's transport corporation to extend the deadline for scrapping the ageing vehicles was rejected by the Supreme Court. New measures The Delhi transport commissioner, Parvez Hashmi, said measures would be introduced within a few days to help counter inconvenience to commuters. The ruling also affects ageing taxis and auto-rickshaws These would include diverting about 1,000 buses from inter-state services to serve the city, and issuing tenders to run some 1,500 buses to private operators. In its application to the court on Friday, Delhi's transport corporation had requested until 2005 to implement the ruling, issued two years ago. But the court said it had given fair warning, and told the corporation that it could not afford to let it continue to pollute the city's air. copyright BBC ------------------------------- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From sustran at po.jaring.my Sun Apr 2 09:38:16 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 08:38:16 +0800 Subject: [sustran] re: fwd: Delhi bans old buses Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000402083816.0082ceb0@relay101.jaring.my> The Times of India Sunday 2 April Delhi Commuters will suffer for a week, admits Dikshit By A Staff Reporter NEW DELHI: Delhiites are likely to face a tough time from Monday with the city government still trying to figure out what to do to make good the shortfall of nearly 4,000 buses that have been off the roads from Saturday following the Supreme Court order. The Apex Court on Friday had refused to extend the deadline for phasing out buses which were more than eight years old and pre-1990 TSRs and taxis. According to the court orders, the government on Saturday withdrew 1,750 DTC buses. Though chief minister Sheila Dikshit claimed the government was fully geared to meet the crisis situation, the DTC could provide only 375 buses which were withdrawn from inter-state routes. Acting DTC CMD Ashok Pradhan said another 400 buses plying on inter-state routes will be pressed into service from Sunday. The inter-state buses will be replaced by those DTC buses which are more than eight years old. Despite this, there will be a shortfall of around 1,000 buses. For this, Dikshit added, the transport department is inviting applications from private operators who were willing to provide new buses under the KM Scheme. The CM admitted this exercise will take about a week's time. Till then, the deficit will continue. What is likely to precipitate the situation further is that as per the court directions, nearly 2,100 contract carriages, normally used by schools and office-goers, have also been withdrawn. The government has, so far, found no substitute for them. Dikshit said the government expected the contract carriages, which are an integral part of the Capital's transport system, to follow the DTC formula. ``The government is not responsible for contract carriages. They have to make their own arrangement,'' a senior transport official said. While referring to replacing the DTC's fleet with CNG buses, Dikshit said the government was in a ``Catch 22'' situation. ``We have not been able to buy the CNG buses, despite adequate funds, as the suppliers are not able to meet the demand,'' she added. Dikshit also claimed that adequate fuel was not available for 21 CNG buses plying under the DTC. The Union petroleum ministry, she said, had assured that 82 CNG outlets will be available by April 1, but they have provided only 15. ``Even at these outlets, it takes around 40 minutes to fill one CNG bus,'' Dikshit said. Neither the chief minister nor any of the senior transport officials had any clue till late Saturday evening as to how many vehicles, flouting the court directions, had been impounded. The Supreme Court had also directed that pre-1990 TSRs and taxis be withdrawn. Nearly 17,200 TSRs and 1,000 taxis fall in this category. Transport department officials claimed most of these vehicles were voluntarily taken off the road. The court's order was to be implemented by the transport department with assistance from the traffic police. ? Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. ------------------------------------------ Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From wcox at publicpurpose.com Sun Apr 2 06:47:10 2000 From: wcox at publicpurpose.com (Wendell Cox) Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 15:47:10 -0600 Subject: [sustran] Re: fwd: Delhi bans old buses References: <3.0.6.32.20000402083303.00802920@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: <03dd01bf9c23$d67f0420$0100a8c0@newmicronpc> Does anyone have any idea on what basis the tenders would be issued? Service quality, service expansion, least subsidy? Etc? ----- Original Message ----- From: SUSTRAN Network Secretariat To: Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2000 6:33 PM Subject: [sustran] fwd: Delhi bans old buses > Hmmm. I guess a lot of people in Delhi will need to ride bicycles on Monday > if they can, even though Delhi in April is starting to get very hot! > > > ------------------------------ > BBC World News > Saturday, 1 April, 2000, 18:20 GMT 19:20 UK > Delhi bans old buses > > The Delhi authorities have complied with an order to withdraw from service > thousands of buses over eight years old - half the city's fleet - despite a > plea from transport operators. The old buses, which run on unrefined > diesel, are seen as a major source of pollution. > > They are to be replaced by vehicles using more environmentally-friendly > compressed natural gas. > > The order also affects taxis and auto-rickshaws of a similar age. > A last-minute bid by the city's transport corporation to extend the > deadline for scrapping the ageing vehicles was rejected by the Supreme Court. > > New measures > > The Delhi transport commissioner, Parvez Hashmi, said measures would be > introduced within a few days to help counter inconvenience to commuters. > > The ruling also affects ageing taxis and auto-rickshaws > > These would include diverting about 1,000 buses from inter-state services > to serve the city, and issuing tenders to run some 1,500 buses to private > operators. > In its application to the court on Friday, Delhi's transport corporation > had requested until 2005 to implement the ruling, issued two years ago. > > But the court said it had given fair warning, and told the corporation that > it could not afford to let it continue to pollute the city's air. > > copyright BBC > ------------------------------- > > > Distributed for the purpose of education and research. > > A. Rahman Paul BARTER > Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia > and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) > P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. > E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my > URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran > > Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on > people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport > with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. > From msenior at uswest.net Mon Apr 3 07:04:13 2000 From: msenior at uswest.net (Milnor H. Senior, III) Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 16:04:13 -0600 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road References: <3.0.6.32.20000401165939.00864b80@mail.mpx.com.au> Message-ID: <38E7C3DC.C6CDEB3F@dnvr.uswest.net> Dear Mr. Holland, Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist. They are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation known. What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is the lack of bicycle specific infrastructure. Please see my web site at www.biketrans.com to see some possibilities for building cycling infrastructure which will allow us to reach cycling potential. Please keep in mind that cycling not only can meet individuals transportation needs it can also improve their health as well as reduce environmental damage. Plus bicycles are extremely affordable and can outperform motor vehicles in urban areas. Sincerely, Milnor H. Senior, III President - Bicycle Transportation Systems, Inc. Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR) wrote: > I agree with Mohsin Sarker 'that automobile is such a transportation > mode that no other mode can provide such utility/convenience to user'. > > Particularly in an era of 'demassification' to borrow a term from > Toffler, where journey patterns are probably becoming more irregular. > > Reducing the number of cars on the road might be more successful > through incentives (eg fun mass bike-riding days) than disincentives, > (even-odd days, fuel taxes, tolls etc) which as people have pointed out, > favour the wealthy. > > We should look to reduce people's need to commute (also already > mentioned). > > Also, of course, we must plan for concentrated nodes of pedestrian-based > urban development so the majority of services are available within walking > distance (also often mentioned). > > Another approach that does not seem to have been discussed is to reverse > the trend (in wealthy countries at least) toward huge 4WDs, in favor of > small light vehicles. > > Ultra Light Vehicles > Suppose we had a system of Ultra Light Vehicles (ULVs) with protective > roll bars etc, maximum speed 30km/hr. The vehicles could > be so light you could pick them (eg 80kg compared to 1000kg). Each ULV, > only 1.3m long, 1.4m high, 900mm wide (wheel base 1.3m wide) could take > only one person but several could be linked together to take a family, or > goods. > > They would be electric-powered, noiseless, pollution-free, and > could be plugged into recharge points at parking spaces all over the city. > The ULVs could have a relatively wide wheel base so they would very > difficult to roll. They would be painted irridescent colours so easily seen. > > They would use special lanes until they became the norm when heavier > vehicles would have to use special lanes. Roads could then have up to > double the number of lanes for the same width of road. > > They could be made mostly out of recyclable plastic and rubber. The > wheels could be narrow and hard (more efficient). > > On main routes, ULVs could hook into tracks that provide both power > and steerage. > > Tunnels for such a small, slower, non-polluting vehicle could be constructed > at a fraction of the cost of conventional tunnels. Standards on > maximum height of ULVs could mean passovers need only be 2m high. > Thus the ease of traffic flow could more than make up for the slower > traveling speed. > > Energy consumption could be reduced by factor 10, as could materials use > in both vehicles and roads. > > The modular approach would also reduce excess capacity wastage for > single-person journeys. > > Relatively ubiquitous rental stops would allow people to pick up a > ULV and drop it off at another rental stop. The cost to rent a ULV > might be approx $4 per hour. The cost to buy a ULV new might be > approx $2,000. > > Commuters might be able to lease out their vehicle to rental companies > while they are working. > > Seats may have a telescoped base which allows elevation for easier entry > and exit. > > Types of ULVs already exist such as lambrettas, motorised tri-shaws, > golf-buggies, and a new range of vehicles now found in holiday resorts > designed for localised sightseeing. > > Perhaps what we need is a range of inducements to get more people > using ULVs. > > A high proportion of people in developing countries use motorbikes, and > thus there is already a very efficient transport system. The main > problems that remain here are safety, air-pollution and noise pollution. > > Does anyone know what the latest is on the Tulip Project in Paris ? > > 'However, a system which is expected to be introduced into Paris by > the year 2000, known as Tulip, will provide tiny 2-seater electric > vehicles which are publicly-owned and maintained and available for > subscribers of the system. The Tulipmobiles will be available from > numerous stations around the city where their batteries can also be > recharged while waiting for the next user. The system is being > developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen.' > > I'd be interested in any feedback. > > Geoff Holland. From sustran at po.jaring.my Mon Apr 3 18:48:43 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 17:48:43 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: Indonesia fuel price controversy Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000403174843.008169a0@relay101.jaring.my> Jakarta Post Business News April 03, 2000 IMF does not object to delay in fuel price hikes: Kwik JAKARTA (JP): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not object to the government's decision to delay fuel price hikes, Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie said. "When we consulted them (IMF), they showed no reaction," Kwik said on Saturday following a cabinet meeting of economic ministers at the presidential office. Kwik said although the delay had been set for an indefinite period, the government would set a deadline. "If we still don't raise the fuel prices after three months, it will be fatal," Kwik said. Kwik said if the delay lasts for more than three months, the government would have to cut its expenditure on development. "Therefore, damaged bridges and bad roads will remain unrepaired," he said. He said the government planned to conduct a weekly evaluation on whether to continue the delay. The government canceled plans to raise fuel prices by 10 percent on Friday, one day ahead of the scheduled hikes, amid threats of mass demonstrations from various parties protesting the planned increases. The threats reminded people to events that took place following the government's decision to raise fuel prices in May 1998. The fuel price hikes then sparked violent riots that led to the resignation of former President Soeharto. The fuel price hikes are part of the agreement between the Indonesian government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of the efforts to cut fuel subsidies for the April-December 2000 fiscal year. By increasing fuel prices, the government expected to reduce fuel subsidies to Rp 22.4 trillion (US$2.9 billion) from an estimated Rp 27.5 trillion during the last fiscal year, which ended on March 31. Chairman of House of Representatives' Commission VIII, Irwan Prayitno agreed that a delay longer than three months would be detrimental to the state budget. He suggested a delay of one to three months. At least one month is needed for the government to prepare the public for the increases. "The government must use the delay period to raise the public's awareness and understanding of the importance of the cut in fuel subsidy," Irwan told The Jakarta Post over the weekend. Last week, the House's Commission VIII requested the government to delay the fuel price hikes, saying that the public were not prepared. He said the public's strong objection to subsidy cuts stemmed from misperception that fuel subsidies were beneficial mostly to the poor. "However, we know that most of the fuel subsidies go to car owners who are in fact not eligible for subsidy," Irwan said. He added that fuel costs in industries made up an average of only 2.2 percent of their total operating costs. Hence, a slight increase in fuel prices should not jerk up the prices of consumer goods. Irwan further said that the government was not prepared to distribute the fuel subsidies to the poor and inefficiencies in the distribution was very possible. The government initially planned to introduce a coupon system for the poor and public transportation owners to buy fuel at cheap prices but it later replaced the coupon system with a cash transfer system. Under the cash transfer system, the government would send Rp 495.8 billion in subsidy funds to the poor and to land transportation owners through post offices to help them afford fuels at new prices. Tini Hadad, a member of the board of directors at the Indonesian Consumers Agency (YLKI), agreed that the government should boost publications on its plans to cut fuel subsidies. "It's important that the people understand why we need to cut our subsidy spending," Tini said over the weekend. She said she understood the people's strong objection to the subsidy cut as most of the people were still enduring economic hardships. Tini added that inefficiencies in state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina had made the public reluctant to pay more for fuel. Tini declined to suggest how long the government should delay the increase in fuel prices, saying during the delay period the government should focus on preparing accurate data on the people eligible for subsidy. The present fuel subsidy scheme is based on data from the social safety net programs of 1999, which counted 17.4 million poor families. (bkm/cst) All contents copyright ? of The Jakarta Post. webmaster@thejakartapost.com ----------------------------------- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From igfr at igfr.org Mon Apr 3 15:27:19 2000 From: igfr at igfr.org (Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR)) Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 14:27:19 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road In-Reply-To: <38E7C3DC.C6CDEB3F@dnvr.uswest.net> References: <3.0.6.32.20000401165939.00864b80@mail.mpx.com.au> Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000403142719.008484f0@mail.internetnorth.com.au> Milnor H. Senior, III responded (thankyou) > Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist. They >are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation >known. What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is the lack >of bicycle specific infrastructure. After pedestrian-based urban re-development, one might expect the cycling to be the next layer of transport infrastructure, (followed by public transit, essential motor vehicle services and good delivery - with private motor vehicle now the least necessary). I wonder if anyone has any solid statistics on injury and death from bicycle accidents (eg per million kms), both for those involving motor vehicles and those where motor vehicles were not involved, as well as a comparison with motor vehicle accidents (per million kms). As bicycle intensity rises, non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents would also presumably rise. Bicycle-motor vehicle accidents would also rise depending on the degree of shared roadway, bicycle lanes or completely separate bicycle paths. It seems to me that micro-motors to assist uphill cycling, bicycle trailers, and tricycles could be developed much more to make cycling attractive to a broader cross-section of the community. Geoff Holland. From ghawkes at sover.net Mon Apr 3 22:13:57 2000 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 09:13:57 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Micro Motors on Electric Bicycles Message-ID: <053301bf9d6e$78b78640$905fc6d1@gerry> Dear Geoff, I have been thinking much along the lines you suggest concerning the introduction of clean micro motors to assist uphill cycling on safe, efficient surfaces. Please see http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for more information. We are taking our first steps toward this vision with the introduction of our EcoTrack modular bicycle path system. Please see http://www.biketrack.com/bikepath.htm I think the EcoTrack systems can work quite nicely as precursors to and feeder systems for Milnor Senior's Transglide 2000 air assisted bikeways for mass transportation in urban areas. Best regards, Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. Woodstock, Vermont www.biketrack.com -----Original Message----- From: Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR) To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Monday, April 03, 2000 8:58 AM Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road >Milnor H. Senior, III responded (thankyou) > >> Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist. >They >>are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation >>known. What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is >the lack >>of bicycle specific infrastructure. > >After pedestrian-based urban re-development, one might expect the cycling >to be the next layer of transport infrastructure, (followed by public >transit, >essential motor vehicle services and good delivery - with private motor >vehicle now the least necessary). > >I wonder if anyone has any solid statistics on injury and death from >bicycle accidents (eg per million kms), both for those involving motor >vehicles >and those where motor vehicles were not involved, as well as a comparison >with motor vehicle accidents (per million kms). > >As bicycle intensity rises, non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents would also >presumably rise. Bicycle-motor vehicle accidents would also rise >depending on the degree of shared roadway, bicycle lanes or completely >separate bicycle paths. > >It seems to me that micro-motors to assist uphill cycling, bicycle trailers, >and tricycles could be developed much more to make cycling attractive >to a broader cross-section of the community. > >Geoff Holland. > From Cowherd at MIT.edu Wed Apr 5 07:35:00 2000 From: Cowherd at MIT.edu (Cowherd@MIT.edu) Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 14:35:00 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Micro Motors on Electric Bicycles Message-ID: <018282337070440JKTMAIL02@jktmail02.indosat.net.id> Those interested in the state of the art in bicycle technology, I was impressed by the collection of vehicles at a corner bike shop in Amsterdam during a research trip there last summer. Some of these were of the owner's design but mostly they were pulled together from other builders around Europe. Some of my favorites were: a tandem in which the front rider is a small child (the front wheel is steered from the rear seat), several versions of an extra long wheelbase bicycle for carrying two children or a big cargo bin, bicycles with internal hub gear mechanisms (like the classic British three speeds) up to 21 speeds (non-overlapping, unlike deraileur systems), a tricycle (two wheels in front with a basket) with a three speed electric motor assist, and my personal favorite, a bicycle bus for carrying 6 toddlers under a canopy in front of the driver. I believe that several models were available with integral or add-on electric assist motors. I was amazed both by how suddenly obvious it was that the history of the art of bicycle design still remains largely in its infancy, and that the innovators of the North American bicycle world had been left so completely in the dust by what I saw. The owner of the shop, Jan Willem Deymann, mentioned he was working on a web site but my search came up with nothing. He also insists on staying away from the business of exporting given the hassles, so those of you beyond bicycling distance to Amsterdam, don't get your hopes up too much. Maybe he can be persuaded to put out a catalog. Here's the info: 'tMannetje Transport Rijwielen Office and postal address: Quellijnstraat 48 1072 XT Amsterdam NL tel: +31 20 471 52 36 fax: +31 20 471 52 17 Shop and workplace: Frans Halsstraat 26A NL 1072 BR Amsterdam tel: +31 20 679 21 39 Robert Cowherd MIT PhD Candidate Bandung, Indonesia > I have been thinking much along the lines you suggest concerning the > introduction of clean micro motors to assist uphill cycling on safe, > efficient surfaces. Please see http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for > more information. > > We are taking our first steps toward this vision with the introduction of > our EcoTrack modular bicycle path system. Please see > http://www.biketrack.com/bikepath.htm > > I think the EcoTrack systems can work quite nicely as precursors to and > feeder systems for Milnor Senior's Transglide 2000 air assisted bikeways for > mass transportation in urban areas. > > Best regards, > > Gerry Hawkes > Bike Track, Inc. > Woodstock, Vermont > > www.biketrack.com > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR) > To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org > Date: Monday, April 03, 2000 8:58 AM > Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road > > >>Milnor H. Senior, III responded (thankyou) >> >>> Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist. >>They >>>are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation >>>known. What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is >>the lack >>>of bicycle specific infrastructure. >> >>After pedestrian-based urban re-development, one might expect the cycling >>to be the next layer of transport infrastructure, (followed by public >>transit, >>essential motor vehicle services and good delivery - with private motor >>vehicle now the least necessary). >> >>I wonder if anyone has any solid statistics on injury and death from >>bicycle accidents (eg per million kms), both for those involving motor >>vehicles >>and those where motor vehicles were not involved, as well as a comparison >>with motor vehicle accidents (per million kms). >> >>As bicycle intensity rises, non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents would also >>presumably rise. Bicycle-motor vehicle accidents would also rise >>depending on the degree of shared roadway, bicycle lanes or completely >>separate bicycle paths. >> >>It seems to me that micro-motors to assist uphill cycling, bicycle > trailers, >>and tricycles could be developed much more to make cycling attractive >>to a broader cross-section of the community. >> >>Geoff Holland. >> > From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Tue Apr 4 16:54:02 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 15:54:02 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Bangkok motorcycles Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000404155402.007a2950@central.murdoch.edu.au> >From Bangkok Post Internet edition, 4 April 2000 Motorcycles to be checked for emissions City to replace the old with the new About 2,000 of the city's motorcycles will be surveyed and studied to find ways of reducing exhaust emissions as part of a joint project. Collection of data will begin on May 15 and the report is expected in June, said Vallop Tiasiri, vice president of the association. There are about 12 million motorcycles in Thailand, accounting for 41% of the nation's road vehicles. The capital has 1.6 million registered motorcycles. The project, called "Bangkok Air Quality Management Control of Motorcycle Pollution," would be financed by the World Bank and supported by the Thai Automotive Industry Association, the city and other agencies. A consultant company has been hired to conduct a feasibility study on reducing exhaust emissions from the city's vehicles. Jitendra Shah, a senior World Bank environmental engineer, said the key pollutant to improve the city's public health was PM10, a technical term for fine dust smaller than 10 microns. Two-stroke motorcycle engines are a primary contributor of PM10 emissions. Offending motorcycles would have to be upgraded or replaced to reduce the city's pollution, Mr Shah said. As well as reducing emissions, this would also improve fuel-efficiency and reduce operating costs. He said motorcycles would be tested and, depending on their level of emissions, either repaired or traded in for a replacement voucher towards the pur chase of a new motorcycle. Spare parts from old motorcycles would be recycled. Five motorcycle factories would provide technical assistance for the duration of the project, said Mr Vallop. "Motorcycles are owned and driven by poor people and it's the poor who have to breathe the pollution and suffer from it, so we must be concerned about it and provide them with incentives," said Mr Shah. Atanu Ganguli, executive officer of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, said India's supreme court conducted a similar project with 66,000 motorcycles in New Delhi. The vehicles were tested in 17 days, between Nov 11 and Dec 2, 1999, he said. From March, the court also plans to ban all buses over eight years old and replace all cars and taxis over 10 years old. Mr Ganguli said there are 14 million motorcycles in India and that New Delhi's pollution is worse than Bangkok's. ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From pascal at pop.gn.apc.org Tue Apr 4 18:47:42 2000 From: pascal at pop.gn.apc.org (Pascal Desmond) Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 09:47:42 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Re: Micro Motors on Electric Bicycles In-Reply-To: <018282337070440JKTMAIL02@jktmail02.indosat.net.id> Message-ID: A useful website is A to B magazine: Besides loving folding bicycles, they like gadgets which facilitate cyclists. Kind regards Pascal Desmond. From kaarina.sarac at uts.edu.au Wed Apr 5 09:30:32 2000 From: kaarina.sarac at uts.edu.au (Kaarina Sarac) Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:30:32 +1000 Subject: [sustran] innovative funding for public transport Message-ID: APOLOGIES FOR MULTIPLE OR CROSS POSTINGS I work with Mark Diesendorf at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney, where one of our areas of interest is the use of economic instruments to promote sustainability and sustainable development. At present we are looking for information on funding mechanisms which have been, or could be used to fund public transportation systems in innovative ways. Specifically I am interested in the possibility of re-couping the benefits of increased property values which result from investment in public transport in areas which do not have these services at present. The benefits of the increase in property value at present accrue to people / organisations which have little to no financial input into new transport systems. Are there any case studies of situations where the stimulation in real estate markets from spending on public transport systems is captured (or partially captured) in order to finance the transport system? Any information on systems (I expect these would be tax or levy based) which have been used to fund public transportation systems or infrastructure projects in this way, whether in the past, currently or potentially in the future would be gratefully received. Best regards Kaarina Sarac Research Consultant Institute for Sustainable Futures University of Technology, Sydney tel. +61 2 9209 4359 fax. +61 2 9209 4351 email: Kaarina.Sarac@uts.edu.au PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007 Australia From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Wed Apr 5 10:47:47 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:47:47 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: innovative funding for public transport Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000405094747.007a6c30@central.murdoch.edu.au> Kaarina, For a quite comprehensive description of instruments and policies in Hong Kong (like Singapore a somewhat unusual case in that almost all land is in public ownerhship), see: Dimitriou, Harry T. and Alison H.S. Cook. (eds.) 1998. "Land-Use/Transport Planning in Hong Kong: The End of an Era". Sydney: Ashgate. 374pp. You will find some useful information in a number of chapters, including "Constraints and opportunities of planning the Mass Transit Railway" by Timothy V. Runnacles, Nigel G. Wilson and Edward C.T. So: p. 137 "In the overall context of the opportunities generated by Hong Kong's transport system, it could be contended ... that the government is the principal beneficiary of urban rail development. This is because the government owns two railway corporations that not only have solid track records of successful operation and profitability, but which also account for a great deal of associated valuable property." A chapter on policy and planning responses by the volume's editors notes that: "...no other city in the capitalist world possesses the kind of control over its land use as the Government of Hong Kong. The city enjoys this advantage by virtue of almost all land in the territory being Crown Land (i.e. land in public ownership). This places the Hong Kong Administration in a position to confer leasing rights to the private sector from which it collects substantial rent and development premiums. [F]ew cities in the world subsidise the housing of their inhabitants to the same degree as Hong Kong. About half of the territory's inhabitants reside in public housing, and because such housing, is often provided in new towns or estates that are equivalent to city populations in other parts of the world, theoretically this enables government planners to coordinate land-use and transport planning efforts more easily..." Also, from the chapter "Institutional planning framework and effective land-use/transport planning" by Colin J. Arnott: p. 304 "In transport, the two government owned railway corporations, the KCRC and MTRC, have become increasingly important to the territory's development strategy as greater emphasis is placed on rail links which have been recommended in recent studies to relieve pressure on the road system. ... The planning, building and operation of urban railways by the MTRC and currently, by the KCRC has proved to be a significant force for change in the implementation of land use planning and development in Hong Kong. ... The MTRC's remit, financial structure and development powers have combined to make the Corporation a successful property developer and planner on a significant scale in its own right..." p. 306 "In Hong Kong, the adoption of the Crown Land Lease system which separates the ulimate title of land from the right to develop, own and occupy a building on that land, has increased the importance of the process of land management and disposal. In public investment terms, however, the Hong Kong government has had its greatest impact on land development through: -land formation and assembly which is taken to include the formation of land for development through reclamation and the assembly of existing land for development, redevelopment or renewal; and -transport infrastructure and other service provision for new reclamation areas and for the existing urban and New Territories areas. Transport investment is the most important of these, in terms of the impact on development, including rail, road, port and airport investment but, arguably, the provision and improvement of environmental services to, for example, older industrial areas, also has a potentially important role." p. 307 "In Hong Kong, there is a greater emphasis on market returns on public investment (e.g., from the land sales programme, new MTR/KCR rail investments, the container terminals etc.). However, such investments are also expected to provide 'welfare' benefits, including environmental improvements, renewal of poor housing stock and so on. ... In Hong Kong, it is ...insitutional arrangements which have been instrumental in the success (or failure) of public investment in land development." p. 310 "In practice, in virtually all 'so-called' developed nations it has been recognised that the process of land assembly and redevelopment of urban renewal areas must be subsidised. Mechanisms have proliferated and now include: -the direct grant aiding of private developers; -the use of public sector financial assistance to 'leverage' finance from private/public sector consortiums; -the issuing of development or infrastructure bonds by public sector agencies providing tax breaks for private investors; and -the assembly of sites and their clearance, reclamation and servicing by the public sector for disposal at less than reclamation costs." p. 314 "...it has been emphasised that, as well as providing a balanced sustainable transport solution, investment in modern mass transport systems has a significant impact on the economic development of cities. Moreover, the benefits of this relationship can be maximised for the financing of the infrastructure itself, for stimulating urban development and to meet wider economic and social development policy objectives. ... the experience of Hong Kong's MTR is one of the world's leading examples of stimulating urban development and simulataneously meeting wider economic and social development policy objectives. It is important to note once again, however, that it is the institutional mechanisms and organisational arrangements for mass transit development in Hong Kong that made this possible, and resulted in the MTR having such an important influence on land development. ... The direct impact on development by MTRC its development partners, at and around its station sites, has been substantial. In the existing urban area, the mass transit railway has led to the development at nineteen stations and depot sites of nearly 200,000m2 of office space, over 300,000m2 of retail space, and more than 31,000 flats." p. 316 "Even for a system which claims to enjoy the highest patronage rates and fare affordability levels in the world, it is important to recognise that the growth of the MTR system has only been achieved through the ability to cross-subsidise income from rail operation and property development. ...it is essentially the broad concept of 'value capture' that represents the hidden engine of success. Through the establishment of a public transport and development agency - such as the MTRC - with access to land assembly powers to secure the infrastructure and property development rights at existing use values (so 'capturing' the development benefits to cross-subsidise transport investment within the same agency) and with the supporting mechanisms in place, Hong Kong has arrived at an extremely effective formula for developing and financing its rail expansion programme. In the medium to long run, this could prove critical to environmental protection efforts and to countering the inevitable forces of motorisation." ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From debi.beag at SoftHome.net Wed Apr 5 14:51:52 2000 From: debi.beag at SoftHome.net (Debi Goenka) Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 11:21:52 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: innovative funding for public transport References: Message-ID: <38EAD478.4CBD5607@SoftHome.net> This is with reference to Kaarina Sarac's email re incease in property values as a result to upgradation of public transport systems. One of the projects that was proposed to be built in Bombay is a Mainland Link Bridge, which is estimated to cost about Rs. 65,000 million (road only) and Rs. 95,000 million (road and rail). (1 US $ = Rs. 45). The developer has proposed that a land cess be collected from the land owners on the mainland since their property values are bound to increase if this bridge is constructed. Fortunately, the bridge has not been approved; and hopefully, it will never be constructed!! Cheers Debi -- Debi Goenka Bombay Environmental Action Group Mobile: 98200-86404 e-mail: debi.beag@softhome.net Environmental Education Office Kalbadevi Municipal School # 54, 2nd floor Mumbai 400002 Tel: 2423126 Tfax: 2426385 Registered Office 4 Kurla Industrial Estate LBS Marg, Ghatkopar Mumbai 400086 Tel: 5147574 Fax: 5115810 Residence B 502 Glengate Hiranandani Gardens Powai Mumbai 400076 Tel: 5700638 Tfax: 5701459 From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Apr 5 15:25:41 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 08:25:41 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Tulip or whatever in the Paris region In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20000402204013.007ed520@mail.mpx.com.au> Message-ID: Dear Geoff, There has to be a single elegant word or phrase for this - whatever it is that when all the evidence points clearly in one direction, and then, and then, somewhere out of the woodwork creeps... (And we're not talking incongruity or anomaly or contradiction or grinding paradox here....) Anyway, as I indicated to you in that note of the other day (see below) all signs for Tulip or whatever carsharing variant in the Paris region have been more than glum since July of last year, when one very interesting, well funded, well supported but at the strategic core essentially brainless demonstration project called Praxit?le was shamelessly abandoned. And another good private effort, Caisse Commune, has been essentially allowed to whither on the vine. But if you go to http://www.psa.fr/NEW/en_recherche/dossiers/tulip/en_tulip.html you will see was PSA has (or had) to offer up on your Tulip, though I would note that these pages have not been touched since June of last year, which coincides with the sputtering wind down of the Renault Praxit?le. So caveat emptor. At almost the same site, you can see what they had to say about their LISELEC project, concerning which we had a recent message to the site from our friends at Stationcar in the State - though there too there is that troubling June 99 shutdown on their pages. I will however look into this a bit and let you know if I come up with anything more solid, encouraging or other. There you have it, Geoff, I guess that all that remains to be done is to run over to the closet cathedral and light a candle for carsharing in Paris. With all good wishes, Eric Britton The Commons ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@EcoPlan.org URL www.the-commons.org Tel: +331.4326.1323 Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Fax/voicemail hotline: In Europe +331 5301 2896 Fax/voicemail hotline: In North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) Paris, 01/04/2000 Mr. Holland wrote on this date: 'However, a system which is expected to be introduced into Paris by the year 2000, known as Tulip, will provide tiny 2-seater electric vehicles which are publicly-owned and maintained and available for subscribers of the system.' Good luck in finding a Tulip or anything like it in Paris in 2000. Whatever you may have read on that project seems entirely out of touch with reality. For some background on the situation on car-based experimentation and practice in Paris - which until July of last year did have an EV component in the suburb of Saint-Quentin - check out @World Carsharing at http://www.ecoplan.org/carshare/. As to the unique qualities of cars, which indeed we need to find some way to factor into the city transport scene in the rich countries (but not just any old way), you will also find there some thoughts and background on that as well. And if you want to get a good picture of how all these bits and pieces can be made to fit together, at least within the OECD countries, and you have to chose just one place to visit for a reality check, try Zurich. (Also on the site.) I hope this helps you. From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Thu Apr 6 10:47:09 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 09:47:09 +0800 Subject: [sustran] [sustran] no more carless day in Manila Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000406094709.007a1100@central.murdoch.edu.au> >From the Manila Times Internet Edition, 6 April 2000 Estrada gets on good side of motorists NO more carless day. No more odd-even schemes on Saturdays. President Estrada yesterday issued a series of memorandums rejecting the proposed carless day and suspending the Saturday odd-even scheme being implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on three major roads in Metro Manila. Mr. Estrada said Saturday is the ?only day when salaried workers and employees can attend to their personal chores? in justifying his order to scrap the day?s odd-even scheme. He issued the order in a memorandum addressed to Transportation Secretary Vicente Rivera, MMDA Chair Jejomar Binay, Land Transportation Office Asst. Secretary Benjamin Calima, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Dante Lantin. The Saturday scheme is being implemented along Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. from Nagtahan all the way to Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City; in Edsa from Kamuning to Pasay Road in Makati City; along Quezon Ave. from Welcome Rotonda up to Quezon Memorial Circle from 9 a.m. up to 7 p.m. Mr. Estrada also ordered Binay and the three other officials to effect the arrest of all colorum buses plying major highways, especially along Epifanio delos Santos Ave. or EDSA, the apprehension of smoke-belching vehicles in compliance with the Clean Air Act, and the ban on pedicabs and motorized tricycles from national roads and highways. ?Owners of vehicles caught in traffic jams are suffering additional expenses borne by the increase in gasoline prices,? the President said. In another memorandum, the Chief Executive ordered Public Work and Highways Secretary Gregorio Vigilar to clear all major thoroughfares of all construction debris. ?You are hereby ordered to clear major thoroughfares, especially EDSA and Aurora Blvd., of all construction debris to help improve the traffic in Metro Manila on a 24-hour work schedule,? he said in the memorandum. ?You are further ordered to clear all clogged canals, sewer and drainage adopting a 24-hour work schedule,? it added.? -- Mirasol Ng-Gadil ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From sustran at po.jaring.my Thu Apr 6 10:15:24 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 09:15:24 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Updates on Delhi bus crisis Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000406091524.00839aa0@relay101.jaring.my> Times of India Tuesday 4 April 2000 Delhi Commuters stranded as buses vanish By A Staff Reporter NEW DELHI: The Capital's public transport system was thrown into a tizzy following the withdrawal of 1,750 DTC buses and 2,100 contract carriages as per the Supreme Court's orders. Though DTC had pressed its entire fleet of 750 inter-state buses on city routes they turned out to be grossly inadequate. People were seen stranded at bus-stops during peak office hours in the morning and evening. The worst affected routes included parts of outer Delhi and the rural areas of city. The government plies DTC buses on these ``loss-making routes as part of its social obligation.'' However, on Monday DTC did not have sufficient buses for these areas. ``People in my area could not reach office as there were no buses. The commuters kept waiting for several hours,'' a Congress MLA from outer Delhi said. Senior transport officials said even on other routes buses running under the STA permits and DTC operation had to make additional trips in view of the high passenger load. The situation, an official admitted, was particularly bad during the peak hours and many would have reached their office late. ``Due to phasing out of DTC buses the load on private buses increased substantially on Monday. Many commuters, thus, had to wait longer to catch a bus,'' he added. Transport officials feel the chaos is likely to continue for another week by when the government hopes to provide some alternative arrangement in the form of private buses under the Km Scheme. The issue also dominated the Delhi assembly on Monday with BJP MLAs demanding a detailed discussion on the ``acute shortage'' of buses in the Capital. Pandemonium prevailed in the House as the BJP MLAs persisted with their demand despite repeated requests from the Speaker that the House proceedings be allowed to continue. The Speaker also had to adjourn the House twice. Thirteen BJP MLAs were finally suspended from the House for the day when they walked into the well of the House and sat on the floor raising slogans against the government. Later, transport minister Parvez Hashmi gave a statement on the issue and assured the House that the situation would become normal within a week. Hashmi said the government was in the process of issuing temporary permits to those operators willing to ply their new buses under the Km Scheme. Till late Monday evening the government had received tenders from nearly 750 bus owners who, officials claimed, will ply their buses from Wednesday. ``Once these buses start plying the pressure will ease. We have also requested the contract carriage operators to withdraw their new buses from the inter-state routes and put them in the city,'' Hashmi added. The minister also informed the House that though the government was keen to buy another 100 CNG buses, adequate fuel was not available even for the existing 21 CNG buses. Hashmi claimed the Gas Authority of India Limited had assured that there would be 82 filling stations in the Capital by April 1, 2000, but they had failed to open even one. ``Our buses have to wait in long queues to get the fuel as it takes almost 40 minutes to fill one bus,'' Hashmi added. The House later passed a resolution criticising the Union petroleum ministry for failing to provide adequate filling stations in the Capital. ? Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. -------------------------------------------- The Times of India Wednesday 5 April 2000 Delhi Bluelines, autos, taxis to go on strike By A Staff Reporter NEW DELHI: The Federation of Transport Union Congress, an umbrella organisation for 16 transport unions, has decided to go on a two-day strike, April 10 and 11, to protest against the ``ineffective'' handling of the polluting vehicles issue by the Delhi government. This means all buses, including Blueline, TSRs, taxis and commercial vehicles will be off the road for two days. ``The government failed to present its case properly before the Supreme Court. They should have sought an extension much before the March 31 deadline fixed by the court. We have now requested the government to file a review petition,'' said president of the Congress, Jaswant Singh Arora. He said though the transporters were keen to switch to CNG vehicles, the government had failed to provide sufficient kits and fuel. Similar views were expressed by the Contract Carriage Operators Association whose 2,500 buses were withdrawn following court directives. The general secretary of the Association, Harish Sabharwal said this was causing a daily loss of Rs 50 lakh to the operators. ``Majority of these buses had been deployed for schools which have been the worst hit,'' said Sabharwal. He claimed the Delhi government had now granted them permission to ply their old buses on inter-state routes. The contract carriage operators will also be joining the two-day strike. The association is also planning to file a petition seeking exemption for the contract carriages. ``Like DTC, we cannot withdraw the new buses from inter- state routes and ply them in the city as this is commercially not viable. We will never agree to this formula,'' said Sabharwal. In the absence of contract carriages, several schools continued to face problems on Tuesday. The scene, however, was not half as chaotic as on Monday. Schools and, of course, parents, who were caught unawares on Monday, had taken measures to tackle the lack of school buses by Tuesday. Gyan Bharati School at Saket, for instance, was severely hit by the scarcity of buses on Monday. Though the school closes at 1.30 pm, the authorities could only manage to send the children home by 3.30 pm on Monday. By Tuesday, the situation was better. ``The attendance was okay...things improved a bit,'' said principal R C Shekhar. Another official of the school, which used to ply 20 private chartered buses but had to make do with 10 on Tuesday, said several parents had made arrangements to drop and pick their children from the school. ``The last child left the school around 2.30 pm on Tuesday,'' he added. Several other schools had also made alternate arrangements to deal with the drastic reduction in the number of buses. Some schools, however, continued to run buses which are more than eight years old. A school principal, who did not want to be identified, said, ``There is some confusion...some other principals told me the Supreme Court order does not apply to school buses.'' Transport officials meanwhile claimed an additional 1,000 buses will be introduced under the Km Scheme within this week. ``Till Tuesday evening, around 924 applications forms had been received and the transporters are willing to provide new buses in the next few days,'' an official added. Meanwhile, the DTC has set up control rooms where commuters can register their complaints regarding shortage of buses. Telephone numbers for these control rooms are: Central - 3371587, West - 5781250, south - 4672544, east - 2293553 and north - 7199807. ? Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. ------------------------------------------ The Times of India Thursday 6 April 2000 NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday decided to issue temporary permits to an additional 500 buses. Following the Supreme Court orders the government was to grant permits to 1,000 buses. Keeping in view the shortfall of buses, it was subsequently decided to increase the number of permits to 1,500. Transport minister Parvez Hashmi said the increase in the number of buses will help solve the transport crisis. ``Forms for nearly 1,300 buses have already been issued and more than 50 buses are on the road. All the 1,500 buses should be on the road by the weekend,'' Hashmi added. While the DTC was forced to withdraw around 1,800 buses following Supreme Court directives, the contract carriages had to phase out nearly 2,500 buses. As an alternative measure, the DTC has pressed its entire fleet of 750 inter-state buses on the city routes. ``These 1,500 buses will help solve the transport problem to a large extent,'' Hashmi added. The government will initially grant temporary permits for a period of four months which will be subsequently renewed. Hashmi said the government was also talking to the contract carriage operators to solve their problem. ``We will see if they can be offered attractive rates to ply their new buses in the city,'' a senior transport official said. The transport department on Tuesday had granted permission to the contract carriage operators to ply their old buses on the inter- state routes. The transport department has meanwhile also come out with a scheme to upgrade TSR owners to taxis. According to the court orders more than 17,200 TSRs and 1,200 taxis which were pre-1990 vehicles were phased out. The government has now offered a scheme to these TSR operators to buy CNG-run Maruti Omni taxis. These operators will be provided a subsidy of four per cent on the interest to be charged on the loan granted by the Delhi Finance Corporation. Sales tax on these vehicles will also be waived. Hashmi claimed a number of TSR and taxi operators had shown interest in this scheme. ``This scheme is similar to the one we had offered to motorcycle-rickshaw operators to switch to diesel jeeps,'' he added. Hashmi however, was quick to add that the government cannot take any guarantee for providing fuel to these vehicles as the Union petroleum ministry has failed to provide sufficient filling stations. ? Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. ------------------------------------------- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From arorap at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 6 13:28:05 2000 From: arorap at u.washington.edu (Pamela Arora) Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:28:05 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Research Message-ID: <007a01bf9f80$8180dec0$a9ab8e8c@v4gdt> I have two issues that I hoping to get some feed back on. First I doing research on the impacts ITS has on Land Use, in preparation for a fellowship I am planning on doing in Denmark next year. I am most interested in learning about that type of research that has been/is being done and the success/non-success of improving land use. If so, I am interested in hearing about it. The second question is in regards to TOD. The city I live in has recently voted to build a light rail station. I am trying to determine what are the best methods to model bicycle usage to the light rail stations. There is quite a bit of information of ways to encourage bike-n-ride lots but nothing on forecasting the number of bike patrons at each stop. Do any of you have any insight or useful literature that will help to determine these numbers? Thank you, Pamela Arora -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20000405/7239f4b0/attachment.htm From litman at vtpi.org Thu Apr 6 22:37:04 2000 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Litman) Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 06:37:04 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Research In-Reply-To: <007a01bf9f80$8180dec0$a9ab8e8c@v4gdt> Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000406063704.011e3100@pop.islandnet.com> At 09:28 PM 04/05/2000 -0700, Pamela Arora wrote: The second question is in regards to TOD. The city I live in has recently voted to build a light rail station. I am trying to determine what are the best methods to model bicycle usage to the light rail stations. There is quite a bit of information of ways to encourage bike-n-ride lots but nothing on forecasting the number of bike patrons at each stop. Do any of you have any insight or useful literature that will help to determine these numbers? Below are some references from in "Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning; Guide to Best Practices" (available free at our website) that describe state-of-the-art bicycle modeling. It is still more art than science. Ronald Eash, "Destination and Mode Choice Models for Nonmotorized Travel," Transportation Research Record 1674, 1999, pp. 1-8. David L. Harkey, Donald W. Reinfurt, J. Richard Stewart, Matthew Knuiman and Alex Sorton, The Bicycle Compatibility Index: A Level of Service Concept, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-98-072 (www.hsrc.unc.edu/oldhsrc/research/pedbike/bci/bcitech.pdf), 1998 Yael M. Levitte, Bicycle Demand Analysis - A Toronto Case Study, Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (www4.nationalacademies.org/trb/homepage.nsf), 1999. William Moritz, Bicycle Facilities and Use, Washington State Department of Transportation, (Olympia; www.wsdot.wa.gov/ppsc/research/onepages/WA-RD3701.HTM), 1995. Christopher Porter, John Suhrbier and William Schwartz, "Forecasting Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel," Transportation Research Record 1674, 1999, pp. 94-101. Project for Public Spaces, Effects of Environmental Design on the Amount and Type of Bicycling and Walking, National Bicycling and Walking Study No. 20, FHWA, USDOT (available through www.bikefed.org), 1993. Schwartz, W.L., C.D. Porter, G.C. Payne, J.H. Suhbier, P.C. Moe, and W.L. Wilkinson III. Guidebook on Methods to Estimate NonMotorized Travel: Overview of Methods. Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (www.tfhrc.org), Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-98-165, 1999. University of North Carolina, A Compendium of Available Bicycle and Pedestrian Trip Generation Data in the United States, Supplement to the National Bicycling and Walking Study, FHWA, USDOT (available through www.bikefed.org), 1994. Linda Dixon, "Bicycle and Pedestrian Level-of-Service Performance Measures and Standards for Congestion Management Systems," Transportation Research Record 1538, 1996, pp. 1-9. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@vtpi.org Website: http://www.vtpi.org From msenior at uswest.net Fri Apr 7 07:13:04 2000 From: msenior at uswest.net (Milnor H. Senior, III) Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 16:13:04 -0600 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road References: <3.0.6.32.20000401165939.00864b80@mail.mpx.com.au> <3.0.6.32.20000403142719.008484f0@mail.internetnorth.com.au> Message-ID: <38ED0BEF.B71593D2@dnvr.uswest.net> Dear Mr. Holland, I have been in Seattle attending a global warming conference so my response has been delayed. I would like to point out that as cycling becomes more popular it becomes safer with more cyclists increasing motor vehicle drivers awareness that cyclists are part of the transportation consumers who will be found using transportation facilities. Most cycling fatalities result from crashes between motor vehicles and cycles. Some research indicates that about 20 % of cycle fatalities involve cyclists who are operating their cycles while under the influence of alcohol. Separating cycling facilities from motor vehicle facilities will make cycling much safer. It is important to note that cycling is a very safe activity for improving human health as it is very low impact and can be undertaken by almost all people. Cycling is a mid-range cardiovascular exercise which improves blood lipid profiles, improves the manner in which the body uses insulin, reduces weight and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, strokes and maturity on-set diabetes. While all exercise is beneficial, cycling provides the greatest benefits with the lowest risk factors among recreational activities. This means that the risk of injury while cycling is much lower than for other common recreation type activities such as basketball and soccer. In the U.S. we are experiencing an obesity problem at an unprecedented rate. Obesity (defined as being over 30% above ideal body weight) increased from 12% in 1991 to 17.9% in 1998. The highest increase occurred among the youngest population (ages 18 to 29), people with some college education, and people of Hispanic ethnicity. "Overweight and physical inactivity account for more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the U.S., second only to tobacco-related deaths. Obesity is an epidemic which should be taken as seriously as any infectious disease epidemic," says Jeffrey P. Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is much more dangerous to live a sedentary life style than to cycle. Sincerely, Milnor H. Senior, III President - Bicycle Transportation Systems, Inc. Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR) wrote: > Milnor H. Senior, III responded (thankyou) > > > Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist. > They > >are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation > >known. What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is > the lack > >of bicycle specific infrastructure. > > After pedestrian-based urban re-development, one might expect the cycling > to be the next layer of transport infrastructure, (followed by public > transit, > essential motor vehicle services and good delivery - with private motor > vehicle now the least necessary). > > I wonder if anyone has any solid statistics on injury and death from > bicycle accidents (eg per million kms), both for those involving motor > vehicles > and those where motor vehicles were not involved, as well as a comparison > with motor vehicle accidents (per million kms). > > As bicycle intensity rises, non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents would also > presumably rise. Bicycle-motor vehicle accidents would also rise > depending on the degree of shared roadway, bicycle lanes or completely > separate bicycle paths. > > It seems to me that micro-motors to assist uphill cycling, bicycle trailers, > and tricycles could be developed much more to make cycling attractive > to a broader cross-section of the community. > > Geoff Holland. From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Sat Apr 8 05:16:27 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 13:16:27 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: fowd: Delhi bans old buses References: <38EE2C80.F08F7D39@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <38EE421B.C01F3C48@bom5.vsnl.net.in> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > Dear Paul, > > Your email of 01.04.2000 and your query about the basis for accepting > tenders. Normally the lowest quotation meeting with the tender > requirements used to be accepted when public tenders where issued. > Now in the corrupt governance, limited tenders are issued to friends > and parties ready to share financial benefits with the executives. > The tenders are decided in favour of friends even though they are not > the lowest. Quality of work, better services or less subsidy are no > more the criteria. > > The news that public buses causing pollution are being withdrawn in > Delhi following the Supreme Court directive is interesting indeed. > Where the administration cannot do or does not want to do, > judiciary comes in to bring order. Let us hope that old buses are > totally scrapped and not given to other operators for other than > carrying bus passengers. Quite often, such buses are used for > transporting children or employees. > > The authorities could help in conversion from diesel to compressed > natural gas (CNG) so that the requisite number of buses are available > for transportation citizens. The Government of India has announced > that the LPG in addition to CNG will be allowed as fuel. > > It must however be clear that people will not, though they should, > resort to cycling. Today they are going over to two wheeler > motorcycles or three wheeler autorikshaws if they cannot afford second > hand cars. In Mumbai, there is spurt in motor cycles for personal > transport and autorikshaws replacing taxies. Motor cycles mount and > cruise on pavement to bypass vehicular traffic jams on roads. > > However much though one would wish the people to resort to walking > for short distances and cycling for commuting to work or > othererrands, I am afraid that cycling will not become the mode for > movement in burgeoning cities of the developing countries. Roads are > crowded up with motor cars. Taxes on private cars are withdrawn > giving licence to own and use motor cars freely.Best wishes. As > President of the Bomnbay Association of Pedestrians, this unhealthy > development is not appreciated. Best wishes. > Kisan Mehta > President > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20000407/8917d01f/attachment.htm From wcox at publicpurpose.com Fri Apr 7 19:41:32 2000 From: wcox at publicpurpose.com (Wendell Cox) Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 05:41:32 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Re: fowd: Delhi bans old buses References: <38EE2C80.F08F7D39@bom5.vsnl.net.in> <38EE421B.C01F3C48@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <003e01bfa07d$d85ea260$0100a8c0@newmicronpc> Do you have any sense of the extent to which the bus services are subsidized. And is the government payment (subsidy) based upon vehicle kms, passengers, or some other variable? Thank you. Wendell Cox ----- Original Message ----- From: SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE To: Sustran Discuss Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 3:16 PM Subject: [sustran] Re: fowd: Delhi bans old buses SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: Dear Paul, Your email of 01.04.2000 and your query about the basis for accepting tenders. Normally the lowest quotation meeting with the tender requirements used to be accepted when public tenders where issued. Now in the corrupt governance, limited tenders are issued to friends and parties ready to share financial benefits with the executives. The tenders are decided in favour of friends even though they are not the lowest. Quality of work, better services or less subsidy are no more the criteria. The news that public buses causing pollution are being withdrawn in Delhi following the Supreme Court directive is interesting indeed. Where the administration cannot do or does not want to do, judiciary comes in to bring order. Let us hope that old buses are totally scrapped and not given to other operators for other than carrying bus passengers. Quite often, such buses are used for transporting children or employees. The authorities could help in conversion from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) so that the requisite number of buses are available for transportation citizens. The Government of India has announced that the LPG in addition to CNG will be allowed as fuel. It must however be clear that people will not, though they should, resort to cycling. Today they are going over to two wheeler motorcycles or three wheeler autorikshaws if they cannot afford second hand cars. In Mumbai, there is spurt in motor cycles for personal transport and autorikshaws replacing taxies. Motor cycles mount and cruise on pavement to bypass vehicular traffic jams on roads. However much though one would wish the people to resort to walking for short distances and cycling for commuting to work or othererrands, I am afraid that cycling will not become the mode for movement in burgeoning cities of the developing countries. Roads are crowded up with motor cars. Taxes on private cars are withdrawn giving licence to own and use motor cars freely.Best wishes. As President of the Bomnbay Association of Pedestrians, this unhealthy development is not appreciated. Best wishes. Kisan Mehta President -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20000407/59d3b8d3/attachment.htm From mobility at igc.org Fri Apr 7 06:07:38 2000 From: mobility at igc.org (ITDP) Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 17:07:38 -0400 Subject: [sustran] ---Internship Available--- Afribike Corps Message-ID: <38ECFC99.42584986@igc.org> ---Internship Available--- Afribike Corps Kopeyia, Ghana June 15 ? August 15, 2000 The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a non-profit environmental organization promoting sustainable transport policies and projects worldwide, seeks individuals to assist in the implementation of a bicycle development project in Ghana. Description The project is based in Kopeyia, a rural community in Southeastern Ghana, about 10 miles from the Togo border. The project?s aim is to improve community access to education, services and markets through improving the local provision of bicycles and bicycle resources (service, tools, parts, training). The project is being capitalized by a shipment of approximately 200 used bicycles, parts, and tools that is being shipped from New York. Tasks include working with local community members to prep the shop space; conduct trainings in bicycle operation, maintenance, and repair; establish links to regional suppliers; document project implementation and results. Qualifications Suitable applicants will be cyclists with experience in bicycle mechanics, bicycle shop operation, small business, teaching, and have a strong interest in social/environmental justice, development and poverty alleviation. Applicants should send 1) cover letter, 2) resume, 3) two references to: ITDP Afribike Corps steely@igc.org or ITDP Afribike Corps 115 W. 30th Street, Ste. 1205 New York, NY 10001 -- Access ITDP's New Website: www.ITDP.org The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy 115 W. 30th Street - Suite 1205 - New York, NY 10001 - USA tel: (212) 629-8001 fax: (212) 629-8033 -- Access ITDP's New Website: www.ITDP.org The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy 115 W. 30th Street - Suite 1205 - New York, NY 10001 - USA tel: (212) 629-8001 fax: (212) 629-8033 -- Access ITDP's New Website: www.ITDP.org The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy 115 W. 30th Street - Suite 1205 - New York, NY 10001 - USA tel: (212) 629-8001 fax: (212) 629-8033 From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Sat Apr 8 16:58:35 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 15:58:35 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fuel cell buses Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000408155835.007a4b70@central.murdoch.edu.au> >From "The Globe and Mail" Internet Edition, 7 April 2000 Daimler bus deal power Ballard to commercialization PETER KENNEDY British Columbia Bureau Friday, April 7, 2000 Vancouver -- Ballard Power Systems Ltd. has taken its biggest step yet to commercialization as DaimlerChrysler AG says it will begin selling buses that use its pollution-free fuel cells by 2002. The announcement by the world's largest transit bus manufacturer is seen as a big step forward for Burnaby, B.C.-based Ballard, whose fuel-cell stacks are designed to replace the internal combustion engine. Investors reacted by driving Ballard's stock up $13.90 to $131 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. On the Nasdaq Stock Market, the stock rose $10.88 (U.S.) to $90.75. "Obviously, we are very pleased," said Paul Lancaster, vice-president of finance at Ballard. "This is the first time that a specific bus manufacturer has talked about using a fuel cell engine in its product line," he said. Buses powered by fuel cell engines have already been demonstrated in several European cities, and DaimlerChrysler has already begun talks with officials from several transit authorities in Europe. "We are offering them for sale and taking orders now," said DaimlerChrysler spokeswoman Ann Smith. "But any purchase announcements will come from the transit agencies, not DaimlerChrysler," Ms. Smith said. DaimlerChrysler said the company's Stuttgart, Germany-based EvoBus Gmbh unit will build and market up to 30 fuel-cell-powered buses by 2003, making it the first automotive company to have technology available for sale in buses. The first of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses, which are expected to cost $1.2-million (U.S.) each, will be delivered by 2002. The fuel cell engines will be built by Xcellsis, a company formerly known as DBB Fuel Cell Engines Inc., which is owned 51 per cent by DaimlerChrysler, 27 per cent by Ballard and 22 per cent by Ford Motor Co. Analysts said Ballard's stock rose yesterday because of the deal's positive impact on the company, which is developing fuel cells with several partners not only for cars and buses but also for stationary power plants. "This announcement on its own is compelling, but the story goes far beyond that," said James David of Warburg Dillon Read in Montreal. Ballard has just completed a two-year testing program on three buses owned by the Chicago Transit Authority. Fuel-cell-powered buses are expected to go into service this summer in both Vancouver and California. As well, a consortium that includes Ballard, the State of California and Atlantic Richfield Co. has said 25 buses and 30 cars will hit the streets of California for testing and demonstration over the next three years. Ms. Smith said DaimlerChrysler is aiming to have fuel-cell-powered buses in commercial production before cars because it is easier to set up the necessary refuelling infrastructure. The company is planning to bring fuel cell cars to market by 2004. She said the Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses will be designed to contain hydrogen gas storage tanks on their roofs. "In this case the hydrogen will be available in a central location to allow the buses to refuel several times a day," she said. ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From postmaster at carfree.com Mon Apr 10 23:05:06 2000 From: postmaster at carfree.com (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 15:05:06 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: Micro Motors on Electric Bicycles Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.20000410150506.006a2460@pop.xs4all.nl> >Those interested in the state of the art in bicycle technology, I was >impressed by the collection of vehicles at a corner bike shop in Amsterdam >during a research trip there last summer. Some of these were of the owner's >design but mostly they were pulled together from other builders around >Europe. I've lived in Amsterdam since 1990, and I've seen the following: Nothing much happened in the way of new bicycles until a few years ago, when there was a sudden flurry of innovative design, with new bikes starting to replace decades-old bikes of conventional design. The big problem in Amsterdam is that all bikes get stolen, sooner or later. We're also seeing the return of the "white bike," a public-use bike. Unfortunately, you have to use a credit-card sort of sustem to get the bike out of the rack, and you have to pay about 50 cents or a dollar per ride. The bikes are distinctive (so not stolen) and have solid tires (so no flats). I don't know how it's working out--the system is very new, and supposedly some problems in the beta-test are supposed to have been fixed in the final version, now in use. ### J.H. Crawford _Carfree Cities_ postmaster@carfree.com http://www.carfree.com From sustran at po.jaring.my Tue Apr 11 13:24:35 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Network Secretariat) Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 12:24:35 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: Motorcycle makers agree to have cleaner models Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000411122435.008b0410@relay101.jaring.my> The Star Monday, April 10, 2000 Motorcycle makers agree to have cleaner models By Jacqueline Ann Surin SERDANG: The motorcycle industry has agreed to comply with new and more stringent emission standards widely expected to be implemented this year, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Law Hieng Ding said. "We have had on-going discussions with manufacturers and distributors and they have no objections to the new regulations for motorcycle emission levels. "We expect the industry to comply," he said yesterday during the ministry's Family Day at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Expo Hill. Law was responding to reports that new regulations being fine-tuned before submission to the Cabinet were expected to be implemented by June. The regulations would include measures to "gradually phase out" two-stroke engine motorcycles which are more polluting than the technologically superior four-stroke engine motorcycles. In the past, the industry has been resistant to the Department of Environment's attempts to implement more stringent emission standards. To a question, Law said the ministry was not planning on banning older motorcycles but expected them to conduct regular maintenance to ensure that their emission levels did not contravene the new regulations once implementation began. He said the regulations would most likely adopt what is known as the Euro 1 standard, adding that at the end of 1998, 51% of vehicles on the road were motorcycles. Vehicular emissions are the biggest source of air pollution in the city. Copyright ? 1995-2000. Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. (Co No. 10894-D) All rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about our SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Apr 11 19:26:49 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Postmaster@ecoplan.org) Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 12:26:49 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycles and sustainabile transport in the Third World In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20000411122435.008b0410@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: Further to the numerous and most interesting (and in many ways quite discouraging) communications that we have had on this topic in the last months, I would like to share a few thoughts with the group, in the hope that it might open up a line of discussion and eventual action. The motorcycle side of things is certainly a monster problem area when it comes to making transport in cities sustainable in which the twain most definitely does not meet. And furthermore, it is one to which I think we have not yet seen enough focused attention in policy and practice circles. At least not on this side of the world. Thus, when we go about building up sustainable transportation strategies in cities here in, let's call it, the West, we are of course aware of "two-wheelers" -- but most of this usually takes the form of trying to figure out how we can get better at providing safe mobility for people on bicycles. Indeed our sustainable transportation paradigm in the West calls for more, and hopefully a lot more, people in bikes. That's part of the S/T gospel and entirely unquestioned as a laudable objective. And when we get around to motorized two-wheelers at all in our (relatively) cozy contexts here, it is usually with reference to some specific focused issues of safety (wear helmets, drive better, etc.) and, in a few places, noise. And that's it. But as we read all these reports from our colleagues and media articles from the Asia/Pacific region, I am once again reminded of the huge and critical differences in this respect. And while I have lived and worked in Third World cities, one tends to forget... or at least I do. Of course we are aware that the basic problem set that faces our planners and policy makers in Zurich, San Francisco and Bilbao is very different in many respects from those of KL, Manila or Bangkok. But this fact of mega-dependence on two-wheelers on the one hand -- further compounded by the prodigious rate at which motorcycles are now replacing human powered vehicles all over the place (whoosh!), and shift the whole new universe and scale of transport and environment related problems and issues that it brings in its wake... all makes it painfully clear that problem solving in your cities is going to require a whole new tool kit from that we have managed to build up thus far here in the West. So, here is the reality of the situation we face on April 11th, 2000. On the one hand the leading edge of sustainability thinking and practice until now has been here in Europe (with a bit of help from our friends in North America, though more often in theory than in practice), and while the toolkit is not as yet complete nor altogether 100% adequate for all the challenges we face here on this side of the world, it is nonetheless picking up momentum and beginning to do a pretty good job in a growing number of towns and cities. All that's well and good, but certainly no grounds for complacency or self-congratulation. Then there is the other reality. The problems and scales of the cities of the Third World, which are one or two orders of magnitude more challenging in just about any sense than anything we have had to deal with over here - which leads me to propose that we most probably have to get to work now to development a sustainable transportation philosophy and toolkit that is going to be apt and sufficient in the face of these challenges. Consider the example of our recent car-free day project in February in Bogot?. By many measures, it was quite a success. We managed to take something like 800,000 cars off the street and that, warts and all, accomplishments some truly laudable and useful results (see @World Car-Free at http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/ for details) . But when it came the motorcycles.... well, for them we did nothing. Zero. Now in the case of Bogot?, that represents a real oversight but still one that is not so overwhelming that it would essentially negate the purpose of the whole thing we were trying to do. So I continue to be a real proponent of car free days as a useful tool and stepping stone toward sustainable transport, in certain contexts at least. But if we think of a car-free day in a place like Ho Chi Minh Ville here in the year 2000, what a poor joke it would be there. And that is only one example which I take based on personal experience. If we get the private cars off the streets of cities like this, what would we have accomplished? Not a whole hell of a lot. Ditto for carsharing (terrific tool though it is). Ditto for most of what goes by the name of traffic calming. Ditto for metros. Ditto for ITS. Ditto for letting technology and the market take care of the problem. This is not to say that "Sustainable Transport - Mach 1" as we might call it has no lessons or tools to propose. We have indeed learned a lot in the process and much of this can indeed find useful application in the new and greatly expanded toolkit for Third World cites that now has to be built up and put to work. But what is needed stretches way beyond all that. So, I guess that we have to get back to work on the sustainable transport paradigm, and start to develop a toolkit that is going to make sense and be useful in these other contexts. And what better place to begin to do this, than right here on good old Sustran. Eric Britton ecopl@n ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@ecoplan.org URL www.ecoplan.org Voice/Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Voicemail/Fax hotline: Europe +331 5301 2896 Voicemail/Fax hotline: North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Apr 11 21:39:46 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 14:39:46 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycles & sustainabile transport planning in the Third World In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Further to the numerous and most interesting (and in many ways quite discouraging) communications that we have had on this topic in the last months, I would like to share a few thoughts with the group, in the hope that it might open up a line of discussion and eventual action. The motorcycle side of things is certainly a monster problem area when it comes to making transport in cities sustainable in which the twain most definitely does not meet. And furthermore, it is one to which I think we have not yet seen enough focused attention in policy and practice circles. At least not on this side of the world. Thus, when we go about building up sustainable transportation strategies in cities here in, let's call it, the West, we are of course aware of "two-wheelers" -- but most of this usually takes the form of trying to figure out how we can get better at providing safe mobility for people on bicycles. Indeed our sustainable transportation paradigm in the West calls for more, and hopefully a lot more, people in bikes. That's part of the S/T gospel and entirely unquestioned as a laudable objective. And when we get around to motorized two-wheelers at all in our (relatively) cozy contexts here, it is usually with reference to some specific focused issues of safety (wear helmets, drive better, etc.) and, in a few places, noise. And that's it. But as we read all these reports from our colleagues and media articles from the Asia/Pacific region, I am once again reminded of the huge and critical differences in this respect. And while I have lived and worked in Third World cities, one tends to forget... or at least I do. Of course we are aware that the basic problem set that faces our planners and policy makers in Zurich, San Francisco and Bilbao is very different in many respects from those of KL, Manila or Bangkok. But this fact of mega-dependence on two-wheelers on the one hand -- further compounded by the prodigious rate at which motorcycles are now replacing human powered vehicles all over the place (whoosh!), and shift the whole new universe and scale of transport and environment related problems and issues that it brings in its wake... all makes it painfully clear that problem solving in your cities is going to require a whole new tool kit from that we have managed to build up thus far here in the West. So, here is the reality of the situation we face on April 11th, 2000. On the one hand the leading edge of sustainability thinking and practice until now has been here in Europe (with a bit of help from our friends in North America, though more often in theory than in practice), and while the toolkit is not as yet complete nor altogether 100% adequate for all the challenges we face here on this side of the world, it is nonetheless picking up momentum and beginning to do a pretty good job in a growing number of towns and cities. All that's well and good, but certainly no grounds for complacency or self-congratulation. Then there is the other reality. The problems and scales of the cities of the Third World, which are one or two orders of magnitude more challenging in just about any sense than anything we have had to deal with over here - which leads me to propose that we most probably have to get to work now to development a sustainable transportation philosophy and toolkit that is going to be apt and sufficient in the face of these challenges. Consider the example of our recent car-free day project in February in Bogot?. By many measures, it was quite a success. We managed to take something like 800,000 cars off the street and that, warts and all, accomplishments some truly laudable and useful results (see @World Car-Free at http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/ for details) . But when it came the motorcycles.... well, for them we did nothing. Zero. Now in the case of Bogot?, that represents a real oversight but still one that is not so overwhelming that it would essentially negate the purpose of the whole thing we were trying to do. So I continue to be a real proponent of car free days as a useful tool and stepping stone toward sustainable transport, in certain contexts at least. But if we think of a car-free day in a place like Ho Chi Minh Ville here in the year 2000, what a poor joke it would be there. And that is only one example which I take based on personal experience. If we get the private cars off the streets of cities like this, what would we have accomplished? Not a whole hell of a lot. Ditto for carsharing (terrific tool though it is). Ditto for most of what goes by the name of traffic calming. Ditto for metros. Ditto for ITS. Ditto for letting technology and the market take care of the problem. This is not to say that "Sustainable Transport - Mach 1" as we might call it has no lessons or tools to propose. We have indeed learned a lot in the process and much of this can indeed find useful application in the new and greatly expanded toolkit for Third World cites that now has to be built up and put to work. But what is needed stretches way beyond all that. So, I guess that we have to get back to work on the sustainable transport paradigm, and start to develop a toolkit that is going to make sense and be useful in these other contexts. And what better place to begin to do this, than right here on good old Sustran. Eric Britton ecopl@n ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@ecoplan.org URL www.ecoplan.org Voice/Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Voicemail/Fax hotline: Europe +331 5301 2896 Voicemail/Fax hotline: North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Apr 12 17:29:22 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 10:29:22 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Big transport projects, Open Government and the Web Message-ID: While I hardly expect this to be embraced with open arms by some of our more authoritarian governments and agencies (ahem!), I nonetheless feel that we as a group, together with all our various extensions and antennae, might do well to consider the possibility of various ways of encouraging (forcing?) any large transport project anywhere to "explain itself in public and on the Web". Two exhibits by way of example, one famous and 'old", one brand new. Both provide pretty clear public statements of the basic what, when, why and how of their respective projects, as well mechanisms of sorts that permit people to follow progress, next steps, etc. Neither is perfect from the perspective that I am trying to introduce here, but both can be taken as interesting steps in what I believe to be a potentially important direction. The latter of the two is that Web site that introduces, explains and says it is tracking progress on New York's AirTrans project which is to link the city to JFK. You can check it out at http://www.panynj.gov/airtrain/. It's brand new and still pretty static, and does not (as yet?) provide any room for public feedback or discussion, which is certainly a desirable characteristic in the sort of Open government initiative which I think is appropriate in such cases. The older of the two is the famous Big Dig (Central Artery/Tunnel Project) in Boston, which lives at http://www.bigdig.com/. This is a much more mature operation, which not only is a great and interesting example of first rate Web skills but also makes some provision for public discussion and exchanges. Imagine if this sort of thing were mandated in some of the mega-cities that concern us here in this forum. And what if the World Bank and international lending and aid agencies and institutions including in the private sector, made something along these lines a conditional part of their finance package... along with guidelines to ensure that feedback and public discussion is allowed, dissenting views encouraged and accommodated, and that the usual tight news management approaches of the responsible (and invariably not unbiased) public agencies be somehow checked. (For this last, one option might be to have the whole thing run under the keen eye of a recognized Ombudsman, international arbiter, or something along those lines). Is this worth a discussion? Eric Britton ecopl@n ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@ecoplan.org URL www.ecoplan.org Voice/Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Voicemail/Fax hotline: Europe +331 5301 2896 Voicemail/Fax hotline: North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Wed Apr 12 18:50:31 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 17:50:31 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000412175031.00836b40@relay101.jaring.my> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > Ref your despatch of 06.04.2000. The situation created by withdrawal > of substantial number of buses, taxies and TSRs has resulted in the > commuters suffering and not reaching their destination. Though CNG > and now the LPG are allowed to be used as fuel, it is surprising that > enough outlets are not created by the government. Press report does > not say that motorists offered lift to stranded commuters. > Stopgap arrangements like diverting buses form other routes cannot > ease the situation nor can tax concessions bring new buses quickly on > the road. > > One alternative worth trying is reserving a part of vehicular > carriageways for cycles. This will help citizens to move on cycles. > Ttraffic conditions in cities of the developing countries are such > that cyclists cannot move without the danger of being run over > unless cars are excluded from a part of carriageways. Pavements do > not exist everywhere and where they exist, they are in bad shape. > Motor cycles go over the pavements for bypassing traffic jams. Car > owners use the licence to park on pavements. Crowding on pavements > is terrific and they cannot be used for cycling. Best wishes > > Kisan Mehta > President > Save Bombay Committee > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > MUMBAI - 400 014 > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > From kerry.wood at paradise.net.nz Thu Apr 13 08:02:01 2000 From: kerry.wood at paradise.net.nz (Kerry Wood) Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 12:02:01 +1300 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <3.0.6.32.20000412175031.00836b40@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: <38F50063.7A479EF3@paradise.net.nz> Dear Kisan There is a system for running buses on natural gas, plus enough diesel to provide ignition, which might be helpful if the 'no diesel' policy could be relaxed a bit. Segregated cycle routes in busy streets are possible and increase capacity substantially (above single occupancy car use) : at least threefold and perhaps ninefold, depending on conditions. But on busy streets physical segregation is needed, which is not easy. It is impractical at junctions, and if the design is not right the safer conditions mid-block may be more than offset by more dangerous junctions. Keeping small motorcycles out is probably impractical, but they are not necessarily undesirable. Bus lanes can be used by cycles too, if they are wide enough. Two useful design manuals are: Sustrans (1997) The National Cycle Network, guidelines and practical details, Issue 2. Bristol, UK: Sustrans Ltd and Ove Arup and Partners Centre for Research and Contract Standardisation in Civil Engineering, (1993) (known as CROW) Sign up for the bike, design manual for a cycle-friendly infrastructure. Netherlands Best wishes for your campaigning > -- Kerry Wood MICE MIPENZ MCIT Transport Consultant 1 McFarlane Street, Wellington 6001, New Zealand Phone + 64 4 971 5549 From msenior at uswest.net Thu Apr 13 08:32:21 2000 From: msenior at uswest.net (Milnor H. Senior, III) Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 17:32:21 -0600 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <3.0.6.32.20000412175031.00836b40@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: <38F50785.7D911D61@dnvr.uswest.net> Dear Save Bombay Committee, I have been following your communications regarding both the pollution and congestion problems in Bombay. Please look at my web site to see a bicycle transit system which may serve to solve your problems with both issues. As you may know The World Bank has just initiated the first of its kind Market-Based Carbon Fund which could provide some of the resources necessary to develop a project. There is also a new Operational Program Number 11 - Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Transport through the Global Environment Facility which is also associated with the World Bank. This program could also serve to provide some of the resources necessary to develop a project. Additionally, there are private funds which could be brought into the project since it is designed to be a money making venture and it has the potential to provide large profits which is attractive to private capital. If you have any interest in pursuing this type of project please let me know. Some factors which we will need to have to move a project forward include a supportive government or governmental agency, local business people who would supply materials and labor for the project, local educational institutions who could provide independent evaluations, and a supportive population. Since I am not familiar with your country you will need to advise me if you feel that the necessary support exists. Sincerely, Milnor H. Senior, III President - Bicycle Transportation Systems, Inc. SAVE BOMBAY COMMITTEE by way of SUSTRAN Resource Centre wrote: > SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > > > Ref your despatch of 06.04.2000. The situation created by withdrawal > > of substantial number of buses, taxies and TSRs has resulted in the > > commuters suffering and not reaching their destination. Though CNG > > and now the LPG are allowed to be used as fuel, it is surprising that > > enough outlets are not created by the government. Press report does > > not say that motorists offered lift to stranded commuters. > > Stopgap arrangements like diverting buses form other routes cannot > > ease the situation nor can tax concessions bring new buses quickly on > > the road. > > > > One alternative worth trying is reserving a part of vehicular > > carriageways for cycles. This will help citizens to move on cycles. > > Ttraffic conditions in cities of the developing countries are such > > that cyclists cannot move without the danger of being run over > > unless cars are excluded from a part of carriageways. Pavements do > > not exist everywhere and where they exist, they are in bad shape. > > Motor cycles go over the pavements for bypassing traffic jams. Car > > owners use the licence to park on pavements. Crowding on pavements > > is terrific and they cannot be used for cycling. Best wishes > > > > Kisan Mehta > > President > > Save Bombay Committee > > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > > MUMBAI - 400 014 > > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > > > From debi at beag.net Thu Apr 13 11:34:35 2000 From: debi at beag.net (Debi Goenka) Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:04:35 +0530 Subject: [sustran] New email address Message-ID: <38F5323B.8D4114EE@beag.net> Please note that my new email address is debi@beag.net Please make the necessary changes, and sorry for the inconvenience. Cheers Debi -- Debi Goenka Bombay Environmental Action Group e-mail: debi@beag.net Environmental Education Office Kalbadevi Municipal School # 54, 2nd floor Mumbai 400002 Tel: 2423126 Tfax: 2426385 Registered Office 4 Kurla Industrial Estate LBS Marg, Ghatkopar Mumbai 400086 Tel: 5147574 Fax: 5115810 Residence B 502 Glengate Hiranandani Gardens Powai Mumbai 400076 Tel: 5700638 Tfax: 5701459 From sustran at po.jaring.my Thu Apr 13 11:44:00 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 10:44:00 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Motorcycles and sustainabile transport in the Third World In-Reply-To: References: <3.0.6.32.20000411122435.008b0410@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000413104400.0088d950@relay101.jaring.my> At 12:26 11/04/00 +0200, Eric Britton wrote: >The motorcycle side of things is certainly a monster problem area when it >comes to making transport in cities sustainable in which the twain most >definitely does not meet. And furthermore, it is one to which I think we >have not yet seen enough focused attention in policy and practice circles. >At least not on this side of the world. In my thesis and several other writings I also urge more attention to questions about motorcycles. There is an urgent need for a wide-ranging debate on the role of motorcycles in Asian cities and the implications for the poor and for future policy options. Small motorcycles are now within the reach of a surprisingly high percentage of households even in low-income Asian cities, such as Ho Chi Minh City where it was estimated that by 1996 about 80 to 90% of households had access to at least one motorcycle and public transport use has dropped to only 2% of mechanised trips (MVA Consultancy, 1997). Motorcycles are problematic in many ways but do provide relatively affordable mobility. So what is an appropriate and equitable policy, taking into account long term synergies with public transport and with urban land-use patterns? Would a policy of gradual restraint of motorcycle use have a disproportionate impact upon the urban poor? --------------------------- Here is some further discussion of motorcycles based on material from my thesis: ON HIGH MOTORCYCLE OWNERSHIP AS A NEW AND UNPRECEDENTED THING ... Urban motorcycles ownership rates of over 150 motorcycles per 1000 persons are unique to Asia and are unprecedented. Countries that now have particularly large numbers of motorcycles include Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and India. Although motorcycles are also becoming significant in some western African countries, no other region of the world has such high levels of motorcycle ownership (Flood, 1997). Because such high ownership of motorcycles in cities is a new development, the understanding of its implications and appropriate policy responses to it are both poorly developed..... WHY ARE MOTORCYCLES SO POPULAR IN THESE CITIES? It had earlier been expected that, as incomes rose beyond lower-middle-incomes, the proportion of motorcycles relative to cars would begin to drop (Zahavi, 1976: 18) and this has indeed been happening in Singapore and Hong Kong. Recent transport studies in Jakarta and Surabaya cities have continued to predict a decline in the relative importance of motorcycles (Dorsch Consult et al., 1996b; Dreesbach and Wessels, 1992). However, against expectations, motorcycle ownership rates have continued to increase in congested middle-income cities where public transport options have been poor and unattractive, such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei (Feng, 1994). Taipei is significant here, with income levels much higher than Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, but also with higher motorcycle ownership and an urban fabric that appears to be higher in density than Bangkok's. Although affordability is clearly an important factor, it is not the only factor. For many cities it was apparently the affordability of small motorcycles along with failures in public transport that initially promoted motorcycle ownership growth. However, by the 1990s in upper-middle-income cities such as Bangkok, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur, spatial issues, such as congestion and parking space appear to have taken over as the primary impetus for motorcycles' continued popularity (along with continued poor public transport). ON MOTORCYCLES AS A RESPONSE TO CONGESTION AND PARKING PROBLEMS IN DENSE CITIES: High motorcycle use may represent a coping mechanism for congested cities in the face of spatial constraints. A dense city can apparently increase its private mobility further, faster and more economically with motorcycles than with cars, without facing such severe spatial constraints. This is because of the spatial characteristics of motorcycles, particularly the small motorcycles that are popular in Asia. Small motorcycles are able to manoeuvre through stalled traffic and to park in tight spaces and busy areas where car parking is hard to find. The time-area concept provides an approach that focuses attention on the very high rate of urban space consumed by private transport modes compared with public transport (Bruun and Schiller, 1995). It compares not only the road space used for a trip but also the parking space used, weighted by the length of time that it is occupied. Motorcycles' use of road space may only be slightly more efficient than cars but they are very thrifty with parking space. Since parking space accounts for a large proportion of time-area consumption by private transport modes, motorcycles consume much less urban space (in time-area terms) than cars. These observations suggest that the popularity of motorcycles in middle-income Asian cities may be at least partly a reaction to high urban densities. Motorcycles appear to serve as something of a "safety valve" in cities that are facing severe spatial constraints. ....motorcycles can also access the alleyways of low-income vernacular housing areas... ON MOTORCYCLES AND POOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The rapid influx of motorcycles in many cities may partly be a result of the inadequacy of public transport. Motorcycles also then play a role in further threatening the viability of public transport in Asian cities. Being more affordable than cars, they can begin to do so at lower income levels than can cars. Furthermore, they can continue to compete with public transport even in conditions of scarce parking and congested roads where cars have greater problems. In part, the space-saving features of motorcycles allow them to compete very effectively with public transport for trips to congested centres. For such trips, their ease of parking and ability to weave between rows of stationary larger vehicles, mean that motorcycles are better able than cars to compete with public transport for this particular class of trips. Like public transport, their cost to users is also comparatively low. ... MANILA AS EVIDENCE THAT POOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS AN IMPORTANT INITIAL IMPETUS FOR MOTORCYCLES It is difficult to know exactly why motorcycles have never become popular in congested Manila.... It seems likely that an important reason may be the relative success of Manila's economical public transport. At least until the early 1990s, Manila's system, dominated by jeepneys, provided a frequent, plentiful and well-used service that penetrates all areas of the city with a dense network. Data presented in Chapter 5 showed Manila's public transport to be much more successful than that of Bangkok, Jakarta, Surabaya or Kuala Lumpur. In contrast, motorcycles have become dominant in Surabaya without any intervening period of public transport dominance and now account for about 46% of motorised trips (Dorsch Consult et al., 1996b). In Surabaya, collective transport has apparently never played a major role and as recently as the 1970s, non-motorised transport accounted for the vast majority of trips. Motorcycles have also been relatively important in Kuala Lumpur ever since the early 1970s and public transport has never been the predominant mode in that city either. Another factor in the rise of motorcycles may be a history of high bicycle use. Many cities where motorcycles have become very numerous previously had high levels of bicycle use. Examples include Taiwanese cities, Vietnamese cities, small Indian cities, Malaysian cities, and to a degree, Indonesian cities. To some extent, this factor may also interact with the lack of public transport. ... .... The success of pro-public transport policies in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Seoul since the early 1970s may also help to explain the lack of popularity of motorcycles in these cities (although explicit restraint of motorcycle ownership also played a role in Seoul in the 1960s and 70s and in Hong Kong since the 1970s). WHAT NEXT? In terms of their potential impacts on land use, motorcycles can serve dispersed urban activity patterns, thus potentially encouraging the development of a dispersed urban form that is not suited to public transport. Therefore, although they do not contribute as much to congestion as cars or use as much energy, motorcycles may be operating as a vanguard for an explosion in the numbers of cars by encouraging dispersed land-use patterns. By directly damaging the competitors to cars, they may also be reducing the capacity of cities to react to this onslaught. As for social and environmental impacts, motorcycles are an extremely dangerous mode and the two-stroke machines that are common in the region are extremely polluting of the air. Such considerations may lead cities in the region to decide to restrain motorcycles. However, it is not yet clear how this could be most effectively and fairly achieved. Perhaps stricter safety enforcement and emissions standards offer potential methods of gently restraining the popularity of motorcycles while also tackling two of their worst problems. Some might argue that low-emission or electric motorcycles (as are being developed in Taiwan) could be part of the sustainable transport agenda... It is uncertain what the long-term outcomes of these motorcycle trends in Asia will be and there is an urgent need for further debate on appropriate policies towards motorcycles. ... Numerous motorcycles may inadvertently cut off other options. By competing effectively with public transport, a high role for motorcycles may tend to make a transit-oriented strategy very difficult for a city. Will the developing mass transit systems in cities such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei suffer from motorcycle competition or will they eventually provide sufficient improvement to public transport quality to help halt the increase in motorcycle use? I plan to develop upon these observations into a full-length paper on this issue. So any suggestions and comments are welcome. Taipei and other Taiwanese cities may be a particularly useful focus for an investigation of "motorcycle cities" since they are the ones with the longest history of high motorcycle ownership. Paul A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From debi at beag.net Thu Apr 13 11:50:35 2000 From: debi at beag.net (Debi Goenka) Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:20:35 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <3.0.6.32.20000412175031.00836b40@relay101.jaring.my> <38F50063.7A479EF3@paradise.net.nz> Message-ID: <38F535FB.49125139@beag.net> Dear Kerry Would appreciate more information about the system for running buses on natural gas plus diesel. How does this work? Does this require replacement of engines or additions to existing engines? How much does this cost? Is this system operational anywhere in the world? Also, any information on diesel traps would be appreciated. Thanks and cheers Debi -- Debi Goenka Bombay Environmental Action Group e-mail: debi@beag.net Environmental Education Office Kalbadevi Municipal School # 54, 2nd floor Mumbai 400002 Tel: 91-22-2423126 Tfax: 91-22-2426385 Registered Office 4 Kurla Industrial Estate LBS Marg, Ghatkopar Mumbai 400086 Tel: 91-22-5147574 Fax: 91-22-5115810 Residence B 502 Glengate Hiranandani Gardens Powai Mumbai 400076 Tel: 91-22-5700638 Tfax: 91-22-5701459 From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Apr 13 16:42:51 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:42:51 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycles and sustainabile transport in the Third World In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20000413104400.0088d950@relay101.jaring.my> Message-ID: Time flies but most of the real problems of day to day life in Third World cities remain there, well entrenched and for the most part seemingly resistant to either understanding or change. The following essay was contributed to a virtual conference we organized back in the summer of 1997 under the rubric of "The Zero Emissions Strategy Conference" (http://www.the-commons.org/zero-ems/). Written by Madhav Govind Badami, at the time a Doctoral Candidate of the School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia - badami@unixg.ubc.ca. Along with that submitted today by our host Paul Barter, it represents a useful step in the direction of the challenge of targeting a sustainable transportation vision and toolkit that can be appropriate to the special circumstances of Third World cities. eb For the Zero Emissions Targeting Conference, The Commons, Monday, 11 August 1997 Zero Emissions Realities in a Diverse and Conflicted World The Very Ordinary Problem of Motorcycles in Cities Motorcycles (and more generally, motorized two-wheeled vehicles) are a serious problem in Asian cities. I know India (and within India, Delhi) best, so I will use these as examples to make my comments and argue my points. Motorized two-wheeled vehicles are the fastest growing vehicle type, and account for 60 % of all motor vehicles nationally. Incidentally, India has the world's largest population of this type of vehicle. In Delhi, there are as many as 1.8 million motorized two-wheeled vehicles, comprising around 66 % of the city's motor vehicle fleet (I estimate this works out to approx. 150 vehicles per 1000 persons). This number is expected to rise to approx. 3 millions, or 85 % of all motor vehicles, in the not distant future. In addition to their numbers, these vehicles are used intensively, accounting for over 60 % of total motor vehicle kilometers in Delhi. Motorization has many impacts, but in terms of human health, perhaps the most important are rapidly deteriorating air quality and road accidents. In Delhi, motor vehicles already account for 60 % of total anthropogenic air pollutant emissions. While motor vehicles are pre-dominant in terms of Delhi's air pollution, motorized two-wheeled vehicles, the majority of which are powered by highly polluting and fuel-inefficient two-stroke engines, account for 45-75 % of total carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and particulate emissions from all motor vehicles in that city. Their contribution is marginal only in terms of nitrogen and sulfur oxides, for which buses and other diesel vehicles are primarily responsible. This situation is due to their very high emissions per vehicle-kilometer, combined with the fact that they account for only 16 % of total passenger-kilometers in motor vehicles. Thus, these vehicles represent the most serious problem in terms of emissions per passenger-kilometer. The impacts, including poor air quality, affect all but likely hit the poor the hardest. They are typically the most exposed to and affected by polluted air, accidents and loss of access and mobility (because they more often than not live in high traffic areas and are pedestrians and cyclists. They are also the least able to cope with impacts, because of poor access to quality health care. The very poor enjoy few of the benefits, while bearing the brunt of the impacts, of motorization. So, there are significant equity impacts in addition to health and welfare ones due to motorization. It is often suggested that motorcycles can be seen as a solution. I would not call them that, if by "solution" one means a consciously chosen answer to a problem. But they certainly are a great way to get around, given the circumstances. For large numbers of the not-so-poor, for whom cars are out of reach, and public transit increasingly unavailable or inconvenient and time-consuming, they offer excellent mobility at a not unreasonable price, and thus easy access to essential services, in a situation in which that access is becoming increasingly compromised (due to motorization !). Their benefits include door-to-door capability and low parking space requirements. And though they contribute to congestion, they can cope with it as perhaps no other motorized mode can, because of their size and maneuverability. Consequently, they are likely competitive with cars and buses over considerable distances. No wonder these vehicles account for 60 % of all registered motor vehicles in India. Ironically then, while motorized two-wheeled vehicles create impacts that affect the poor the most, large numbers of low- and middle-income people benefit from their use. And policies to address their impacts can hurt low-income groups. In this regard, consider an emissions-reduction policy that dramatically raises vehicle purchasing and/or operating costs for low-income persons forced to live far away from their places of work (because of low rent affordability) in areas not served or poorly served by transit, and with no travel options other than their motorized two-wheeled vehicles. Thus, as Paul Barter of Sustran points out, the public policy challenge is, how to address their impacts, while minimizing policy impacts on low-income users. Policies must also be selected for long-term effectiveness, low cost and easy administration. And because motorized two-wheeled vehicles provide significant benefits, we must, if we wish to wean users away from them, attempt to preserve their benefits by other means. Thus, restricting their ownership and use without providing viable options, such as accessible, frequent, convenient and affordable public transit service, would be to put users to considerable hardship. Having laid the ground rules, as it were, for selecting policies to control motorized two-wheeled vehicle impacts, let us consider some that are targeted at their air pollutant emissions. a) Four-stroke engines would significantly reduce exhaust hydrocarbon and particulate levels and improve fuel efficiency. But, compared to two-strokes, they have more moving parts, are much larger and heavier for the same power output, and are more expensive. This is precisely why two-strokes are preferred for small motorized two-wheeled vehicles such as scooters and motorcycles -- they are simple in design, have a high power/swept volume and power/weight ratio, are relatively inexpensive, and easy to own, operate and maintain. Advanced two-strokes with timed fuel injection and crankcase lubrication would have similar emissions and fuel efficiency effects as four-strokes, while sacrificing only some of the two-stroke's advantages. But both four-stroke and advanced two-stroke machines will be more complex and expensive to own and maintain than straight two-strokes. b) Catalytic converters: if these were fitted on current two-stroke vehicles, they would likely not last very long -- the very high exhaust hydrocarbon levels would burn at very high temperatures in the converter, resulting in heat damage to the catalyst. Also, lubricating oil would coat the catalyst, rendering it ineffective. Catalytic converters on current two-stroke machines may thus end up costing a lot, with little or no benefit in terms of pollution reduction. To be truly effective, catalytic converters need precise air-fuel ratio control, crankcase lubrication, and timed fuel injection, all of which would add considerably to complexity and cost. They also require lead-free fuel, because lead is a catalytic poison. While unleaded gasoline has recently been introduced in the major metropolises including Delhi, Indian gasoline outside these areas continues to be leaded. Now let us assume that new vehicle emission standards requiring four-stroke/advanced two-stroke/catalytic conversion are mandated, and production of two-strokes halted, from (let us say), the year 2000. Let us make the further (reasonable) assumption that vehicles with these technologies will be considerably more expensive than currently available equivalent two-strokes. Apart from the technical problems raised: only those who can afford it will scrap their existing two-strokes as planned, and replace them with new technology vehicles. But many others will likely delay scrapping their old, highly polluting vehicles even longer than they would have, had two-strokes been still around. This will likely result in increased emissions neutralizing gains due to the new technology vehicles that did get purchased. And many more who just could not afford the increased price, and large numbers who currently depend on 50 cc two-stroke mopeds would either be left high and dry without any viable alternatives, or be hit severely economically if they were forced to purchase these expensive vehicles. On the other hand, if prices were maintained, things would be a bit better in terms of emissions reduction as well as equity (50 cc users would still be affected). But in any case, fleet-wide emissions improvements would still take a long time, given the low scrappage rates typical in India. The purpose of the foregoing is not to suggest that improved vehicle technologies are unnecessary, only to point out potential problems. Whether we consider vehicle technology improvements or not, we need to think of cost-effective solutions that will kick in right away. One such is fuel quality improvement in terms of, for example, lead removal and volatility reduction (for evaporative emissions control). Evaporative emissions, which are rich in reactive hydrocarbons responsible for ozone formation (along with nitrogen oxides), can be as high as 20 % of total hydrocarbon emissions in vehicles without emission controls, particularly in hot climates like India's. Fuel quality improvements, and lubricating oil quality improvements (for particulate control), would not be inexpensive, and would produce lower per-vehicle emission reductions than vehicle improvements. However, unlike new vehicle emission standards which can take a long time to be effective, fuel and lubricating oil quality improvements can start reducing emissions (and improve fuel economy) in all vehicles in-use and the fuel-distribution system as soon as they are introduced. In conclusion: motorcycles indeed are a serious problem, and their impacts should be controlled. However, as I have argued, we must consider the equity impacts of policies. Quite apart from the issues raised, technological measures to reduce per-vehicle fuel consumption and emissions can be neutralized by increases in vehicle-kilometers and trips (Delhi's population is expected to increase to around 13 millions by 2000). If we want to reduce motorized two-wheeled vehicle ownership, use and emissions while maintaining access and mobility for the masses, we should provide viable alternatives. We need to enable people to do most of their business on foot or bicycle by pro-actively planning for non-motorized modes. We must certainly augment public transit service, but the allocations required are massive, and the available funds meager. The bottom line: there are no easy solutions ! Organizers' Note: This presentation by Mr. Madhav Badami was invited not only because it offers a fine overview of one of the myriad problems of daily life that in their totality make up our present non-sustainable, high emissions world, but also because we are eager that the conference hear from younger people and those from the developing nations. All too often our preoccupations as researchers and policy makers fixate on those advanced economies that we know best. And of course one of the most important single barriers to international negotiations concerning pollution of all sorts is precisely because the 'first world' is simply neither well enough informed about Third World realties and opinions, nor sufficiently sympathetic to them. We would like also to express our thanks to the Sustran group in South-East Asia for making this author's work known to us, and for those of you with special transport interests we can strongly recommend their informative and provocative (and free) on-going discussion group (details available from Paul Barter at tkpb@barter.pc.my). We look forward to your comments on this presentation. From halubis at trans.si.itb.ac.id Fri Apr 14 11:28:37 2000 From: halubis at trans.si.itb.ac.id (Harun al-Rasyid Sorah Lubis) Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:28:37 +0700 Subject: [sustran] m/c and aging car emission in Jakarta &Bandung Message-ID: <001801bfa5b9$26f22740$1102cda7@harun.si.itb.ac.id> Dear netters, FYI on Indonesia case, below is the estimated profile of m/c emission contribution in Bandung & Jakarta by year 2000, from our ongoing studies. Bandung 2000 Veh ; Veh.Proportion; Emission Contribution Private Car; 31.6 ; 32.8 Bus; 6.5; 7.0 Truck; 10.1; 9.1 M/c ;51.8; 51.0 Jakarta 2000 Private Car; 28.8 ; 22.5 Bus ;9.7 ;13.9 Truck; 9.2 ;6.3 M/c; 52.3 ;57.3 A rather strange contribution can be observed from buses in the two cities. This can be explained as bus-mileage is less in Bandung than that of in Jakarta. This in turn made the m/c emission cotribution in Jakarta is greater than that of in Bandung, though m/c proportion is more or less the same in the two cities. Sustainably speaking, this explain the incentive putting more buses (public transport) However, the m/c existence yet dominate the emission contribution. On the other hand, aging cars do contribute a lot as well. In the two cities, our recent study tells: Bandung 2000 Veh. year Brand ;Veh. Proportion; Emission Contribution < 1984 ;50.6 ; 68.4 1985 =< Veh.< 1995; 21.7; 21.4 >= 1995 ;27.7 ;10.2 Jakarta 2000 Veh. year Brand ;Veh. Proportion; Emission Contribution < 1984 ;31.8; 51.2 1985 =< Veh. < 1995 ;36.1 ;30.6 >= 1995 ;32.1 ;18.2 M/c ownership is a stepping stone before owning a car, and a response to avoid bad public transport service, for the time being. Aging car can be controlled through annual vehicle test. This is being considered to be implemented by the government shortly, and scrappage policy maybe a must in the near future. Putting more public transport should be the genuine commitment or political will. It is, of course, no wonder. BUT, there should be a good will to manage or allocate operating subsidies, the management of which is still not in existence so far. ======= Harun al-Rasyid S. Lubis http://trans.si.itb.ac.id Traffic Lab, Transport Engineering Division Dept. of Civil Engineering - ITB Jl. Ganeca 10 Bandung 40132 - Indonesia Tel/Facs. +62 22 250 23 50 halubis@trans.si.itb.ac.id From Cowherd at MIT.edu Sat Apr 15 11:10:03 2000 From: Cowherd at MIT.edu (Cowherd@MIT.edu) Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:10:03 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Indonesian fuel pricing Message-ID: <0fedb2610110e40JKTMAIL02@jktmail02.indosat.net.id> Here is a series of two articles from the Jakarta Post this week that gets into one of our favorite issues as it applies in Indonesia. Robert Cowherd MIT PhD Candidate, Architecture and Planning Bandung, Indonesia ------------------------- >From the Jakarta Post: Toward a fair fuel-pricing system Editorial and Opinion ? April 11, 2000 By Otto Soemarwoto This is the first of two articles on fuel pricing. BANDUNG (JP): Fuel oil -- commonly known as bahan bakar minyak, and by its acronym BBM -- is making headlines again. In a bid to reduce the BBM subsidy, the government decided to increase its price, but because of fierce protests the government retreated by announcing the postponement of the price hike. The dilemma lies in the narrow vision which the government, non- governmental organizations (NGOs), the general public and even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank look at the subsidy system of fuel oil. The current system is unfair. The more one consumes fuel, for example by driving more kilometers by car, the more one enjoys the benefits of the subsidy. These are the richer people. Since the subsidy is derived from public funds, the poor are paying subsidies to the rich. The government tried to overcome this unfairness by issuing BBM coupons to the poor, a program which was later changed to cash subsidies. But considering the still corrupt bureaucracy, this system was bound to fail miserably. What then are the alternatives? This article is confined to the transport sector, a major consumer of fuel oil. The article also seeks a synergetic relationship between the economy and ecology. In the transport sector there are many hidden subsidies which are not recognized by the government, the experts, the public and the IMF. Firstly, car tax does not cover the costs of the construction and widening of roads and bridges, and their maintenance; the production, placement and maintenance of traffic signs and operation of traffic lights; the training and salaries of traffic police, and the maintenance and operation of ambulances and the health costs of traffic accidents. The government also has to pay for many parking lots, while only a small fraction of the revenue goes to the government's coffers. It is, hence, ironical that the large amount of public funds spent on the widening of roads often ends up creating more roadside parking places, which increase traffic jams. A publication of the World Resources Institute estimated that in the United States this subsidy, excluding the health costs, amounted to US$175 billion annually. No data is available for Indonesia. Assuming this to be only 0.1 percent of the U.S. subsidy, it would still be an annual subsidy for motorists of $175 million. Secondly, there is the subsidy in the form of external costs. Being external costs they are not borne by the motorists, but by the public. Motorized vehicles produce fumes which cause asthma and contain toxic and carcinogenic substances. The lead in the fumes is suspected of inhibiting the development of the brains of children and thus reduces their Intelligence Quotient. The traffic officers, parking employees, street vendors, street musicians and beggars at traffic lights are the ones who suffer most from the air pollution. The World Bank estimated that for 1990 the health cost for Jakarta alone was $220 million. For the whole country this figure could easily reach $500 million. Because of the growth of the population and car numbers, this health cost has increased steadily. This is another subsidy for the motorists. To illustrate the magnitude of this subsidy, compare it with the foreign aid of $400 million which is currently being delayed by the IMF, because Indonesia has not been able to satisfactorily meet its Letter of Intent. Another external cost is related to the effect of roads and parking lots from the increasing frequency and intensity of floods in the rainy season and water shortages in the dry season. These two effects are interrelated. Roads and parking lots reduce the rate of rainwater infiltration into the ground. On one hand, this increases the volume of the overland flow, causing more floods. On the other hand the rate of the refill of the ground water is diminished so that in the dry season the river flows are minimized and many wells become dry. Floods in the wet season inflicting billions of rupiah in damage alternate between water shortages in the dry season, forcing the poor, who are not served by the state water company, to buy water. Floods and water shortages are also serious sources of diarrheal diseases. Roads also contribute to floods in the countryside which cause many thousands of hectares of rice fields to produce poorly or even to suffer complete failure. Again the ones who pay are mostly the poor people who are subsidizing the motorists. A third external cost is that roads, parking lots and traffic create areas with higher temperatures than their surroundings, the so-called heat islands. Even the mountain resort of Puncak, Bandung and other mountain towns are not cool anymore. In Kuala Lumpur the temperature difference between the business center and the city outskirts is close to 5 degrees centigrade. No such data is available for Indonesia. The higher temperatures increases the need for air-conditioning which in turn accelerates the rate electricity consumption, and also fuel, which increases the amount of subsidy paid by the government. Air conditioning also works as a positive feedback loop for the heat islands, making them worse. Naturally, the poor cannot afford air- conditioning and just have to bear the heat. Heat islands also stimulate the development of living organisms, including mosquitoes and flies, hence, they exacerbate infectious diseases and dengue hemorrhagic fever, increasing the health budget of the government and the people. Still more subsidies for the motorists. Logically, it is these subsidies which should be cut first. This can be done by adopting a stick-and-carrot policy. The stick would be to force the motorists to pay the external costs described above. Firstly, the tax on cars should be increased significantly and a road tax be introduced. For those who have more than one car, the tax should be increased exponentially. Secondly, parking fees should also be increased significantly and parking on roads should be banned. This latter step would have the additional advantage of reducing congestion, which would reduce the amount of fuel subsidy paid by the government, and would lower air pollution.#$ Conversions of lawns to parking lots should be permitted sparingly and the conversions should also be taxed. The writer is an environmental expert, teaching at Padjadjaran University in Bandung. ------------------------------------- Toward a fair pricing system for fuel oil Editorial and Opinion ? April 12, 2000 By Otto Soemarwoto This is the second of two articles on fuel pricing. BANDUNG (JP): The higher tax and parking fees, and the limitation of parking space would work as a disincentive for using cars in inefficient ways. This can be further strengthened by giving incentives for using cars efficiently, the carrot part of the policy. In the first place public transportation should be improved by making it clean, safe and comfortable. It should run on dependable time schedules, with convenient interconnections of buses and trains. For example, an employee who lives in Bogor, West Java, and works on Jl. Thamrin would take the train to Gambir Station and continue his journey by bus, without having to waste time on connections. Having good public transportation should not be an impossibility. Look at the Parahyangan train serving the Bandung-Jakarta route which is clean, generally on time and profitable. The government-run DAMRI bus, plying the route of Gambir-Cengkareng in Jakarta, is another example. The International Energy Agency reported that in Curitiba, Brazil, a public mass transport system based entirely on buses and run by private enterprise proved to be efficient, cheap and profitable. Good management is the key. Secondly, schools, universities and offices should be encouraged to develop a pool system by reducing taxes on cars and the proposed road tax, or even exempting them from this latter tax. They would also be given priority parking at reduced prices or for free. A third incentive is directed at stimulating walking and bicycling for short distance journeys by constructing pedestrian and bicycle lanes which allow safe walking and cycling. Driving a car for short distances is a very inefficient way of transportation and causes higher levels of pollution. Walking for one kilometer and cycling for up to 10 km can be done easily. Considering that Indonesian cities practice mixed spatial usage, residential areas are at short distances from offices, schools, universities, mosques, churches, shops and markets. Therefore, walking and bicycling has a lot of potential. These are cheap and clean modes of transportation and are also healthy. It has been reported that in countries where shopping centers which have been closed to motorized transport and are open for pedestrians only, business has increased 71 percent in Austria, 63 percent in Germany and 67 percent in Scandinavia. Using more bicycles has the added advantage of stimulating the bicycle industry, which would create jobs for the production of bicycles and their spare parts, their assembly, trade and servicing. Since these economic activities do not require large a capital outlay and little or no foreign currency, they can further stimulate small- and medium-sized enterprises. Even in the U.S., bicycle parts are produced in many small mom-and-pop shops. Using the ratio of the number of bicycles to the population of India as an example, and assuming that an owner would on average use a bicycle for five years and then sell it, 2.5 million bicycles would have to be produced in Indonesia annually. Using China and the Netherlands as examples, 11 million and 30 million bicycles, respectively, would have to be produced annually. Those working on the streets and at road crossings, and those affected by parking restrictions, would be able to earn a decent and healthy living from the bicycle economy. Clearly, the stimulation of bicycles has the potential of a large scale economic impact and could actually help to overcome our economic crisis. In conclusion cutting the large, but hidden subsidies for the motorists, and stimulating the people to use fuel oil more efficiently would have the following impacts: #$ The government would get additional income from taxes. The budget for road construction, maintenance and operation would be reduced. The fuel oil subsidy would be reduced because fewer people would drive their own cars, resulting in less congestion, while more people would use the pool system, public transportation and walk and cycle. There would be fewer floods and water shortages. The air quality would be improved and this would directly lead to a marked decrease in the huge health costs of air pollution, and with it people's productivity would increase. Sixth, the economy would be stimulated whereby numerous jobs would be created. The overall impact would be that the ecology and economy would not be at odds with each other. Instead they would strengthen, resulting in a better quality of life. In parallel with improved economy, the fuel oil subsidy could be gradually reduced and eventually abolished. A fair pricing system for BBM would be instituted. This alternative of reducing subsidies would not create social unrest, as the people, particularly the poor, would enjoy the benefits. The dilemma of the BBM subsidy would be resolved by productive means. The difficulty would be that the poor belong to the silent mass and do not have any lobbying power -- while the motorists who would be adversely affected, have access to newspapers, radio and television, through which they can loudly voice their discontent and protest. They also have the ability and power to lobby high level bureaucrats. The bureaucrats themselves would be reluctant to sacrifice their comfortable lifestyles. But I hope that President Abdurrahman Wahid and the legislators will consider this alternative favorably. The IMF and the World Bank, which have the power to influence the government, should also study this alternative in detail and work out a plan of implementation to be recommended to the government. The writer is an environmental expert, teaching at Padjadjaran University in Bandung. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 15 01:04:15 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:04:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Vehicle pooling - lessons of experience Message-ID: There is a certain amount of literature available with guidelines which purport to show how to make car and vanpooling work. Much of this is implicitly encouraging about both the prospects and the impacts of such alternative arrangements (including some that we have generated ourselves over the last 20+ years). However reality has not always been kind to such projects. In fact it would seem that more often than not after some opening ballyhoo and early successes, many if not all seem to fade away without leaving much of a trace. And even where they may have worked for a while, it has often proved quite difficult to keep them afloat very long. As a result, we are left in sort of a penumbra of ignorance. Do any of you know of any strong and realistic reports on the successes, failures and what seems to distinguish the two? If so, I imagine that there may be many of us who could usefully have a look in order to temper our own hopefulness and, in some cases perhaps, our own ignorance. Mine for instance. Thank you if you have any leads on this. Eric Britton ecopl@n ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@ecoplan.org URL www.ecoplan.org Voice/Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Voicemail/Fax hotline: Europe +331 5301 2896 Voicemail/Fax hotline: North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) From ganant at vsnl.com Sat Apr 15 03:21:04 2000 From: ganant at vsnl.com (Ananthakrishnan) Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:51:04 +0530 Subject: [sustran] railway website Message-ID: <011201bfa63e$35410520$8e86c5cb@vsnl.net.in> The Southern Railway, one of the better run rail zones in India, has gone online with a first of its kind website in the country: www.southernrailway.org The site promises real time information on status of bookings, and availability of accommodation on trains, among other things. G.Ananthakrishnan, Chennai-based journalist can be reached at Tel: + 91 44 8413942 , Fax: + 91 44 8415395. From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Sun Apr 16 04:27:48 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:27:48 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Sustaainable Transport Planning in the Third World References: <38F8BDEB.15E7628F@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <38F8C2B4.902146F1@bom5.vsnl.net.in> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > Dear friends, > > Eric Britton has raised very pertinant issues as to what could be a > Sustainable Transport planning for the Third World? Developing > countries - especially their politicians are all out to support > motorisation through more roads, fly overs, subsidised fuel, no tax > on private cars easy finance to acquire cars and added to this is the > car manufacturers of the World USA Japan, Korea, Europe all looking > to developing countries as the hot market for their cars. > Advertisements appearing in newspapers would show that hot competition > to letter the other manufacturer is on. > > Probably car sharing or car free days will not work. Pedestrian > oriented public transport policy and upgraded fuel quality fuel can > lift the developing countries out of the morose conditions. The > SUSTRAN shall have to develop models for burgeoning cities of the > develop countries for public discussion and alternate options as > politicians and administrators are encouraging motorisation. Best > wishes. > > Kisan Mehta > President > Save Bombay Committee > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > MUMBAI - 400 014 > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Sun Apr 16 04:28:36 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:28:36 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: References: <38F8B958.B1C58467@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <38F8C2E4.D59E3F55@bom5.vsnl.net.in> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > Dear Milnor, > > Your email of 12.04.2000 was very interesting. We are anxious to > pursue a project for pedestrian centered public transport plan > incorporating safety to pedestrians, safe cycle riding for work and > pleasure, public transport road and railway, reducing the motorcars > and regulating the movement of trucks and intercity buses. Government > support is difficult as ministers promote motorisation through many > concessions and incentives. Local business can be expected to help. > The population is ready to cooperate in developing sustainable > transport that can reduce travel time and provide safety. Please tell > us what we should do to help you work out the project. We cannot > find money and resources but we can put in labour. The World Bank > is at present working on Mumbai Urban Transport Project II (MUTPII) > estimated to cost Rs. 60 billion in which the Bank assistance would be > 40 to 45 billion ( Indian Rs. 43 is equivalent to US $ one). Best > wishes. > > Kisan Mehta > President > Save Bombay Committee > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > MUMBAI - 400 014 > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > > From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Sun Apr 16 04:29:09 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:29:09 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road References: <38F8B801.4686ACDD@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <38F8C305.972002D2@bom5.vsnl.net.in> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > Dear Mohsin, > > We found info on your research " Gap Between Demand and Supply of Auto > related Road Infrastructure and Urban Characteristics" interesting. > We shall appreciate a copy of your research for our reference. > > For reducing number of cars on the road it many be necessary to not to > increase or rather curtail the infrastructure along with strict > restrictions on parking on roads, pavements, open spaces. > > Our government is having a policy of promoting motorisation - > subsidised fuel, flyovers, parking allowed everywhere, easy loans to > purchase car etc. Government has a policy of regulated prices for > petroleum products. Price of diesel is lower than bottled mineral > water. Price of Kerosene and LPG increased drastically but diesel > prices remained unchanged. Petrol prices are lower than international > prices. Govt. loses Rs. 70 to 150 million a year by keeping > autofuels prices low. > > In developing countries having low car ownership ratio the craze > appears to be of supporting motorisation at public and citizens > hardship. > > Kisan Mehta > President > Save Bombay Committee > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > MUMBAI - 400 014 > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > From kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in Sun Apr 16 04:29:50 2000 From: kisansbc at bom5.vsnl.net.in (SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE) Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:29:50 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <38F8B613.19464329@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <38F8C32D.855F99D6@bom5.vsnl.net.in> SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > > > Kerry's reply dated 13.04.2000 was enlightening. At present the > government policy is of promoting use of diesel. All public buses and > heavy duty trucks operate on diesel cheaper in price than bottled > mineral water. Public Transport Undertaking has introduced less than > ten CNG operating buses in the total fleet of 3500 buses. > > Cycles are getting out as man's mode of traffic due to serious > traffic hazard because roads are full of private cars and heavy > duty vehicles. Though cycles are more efficient (I agree with you), > car owners are not ready to go over to cycles or even leave the cars > at home. In Indian cities motor cycles outnumber all modes for > movement, Cycles riding cannot be safe till cycle lanes are provided > and effectively guarded. > > Bus lanes are rare however reserving only one 3.5 m wide lane is > workable even for buses. In Mumbai some of the main corridors carry > between 25 to 50 bus routes. Buses move in platoons resulting in > severe delays. In crowded roads, buses move at an average spped of > 8-10 km an hour. Roads are over crowded. Pavements are encroached by > parked vehicles, hawkers, shop extensions, waste bins of different > sizes some of 2m x 4m in ht of 2.5 m. Motor cycles jump over to > pavements to bypass vehicular traffic jams . We have had no occasion > to see the two manuals you have referred and difficult to locate in > India. Can you kindly obtain for us. > > The fact that the Delhi authorities could not think of providing > protection and safety to cycles even in the crisis created by sudden > withdrawal of old buses shows that cycles are not considered as an > efficient mode of traffic. More cars will come on road because car > owning is encouraged and there is substantial drop in the prices of > second hand cars. Best wishes, > > Kisan Mehta > President > Save Bombay Committee > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > MUMBAI - 400 014 > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > From wcox at publicpurpose.com Sat Apr 15 23:00:26 2000 From: wcox at publicpurpose.com (Wendell Cox) Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 09:00:26 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <38F8B613.19464329@bom5.vsnl.net.in> <38F8C32D.855F99D6@bom5.vsnl.net.in> Message-ID: <006001bfa6e2$f43caca0$0100a8c0@newmicronpc> Meanwhile... how is all of this (the banning of old buses) affecting the daily riders (or former riders) in Delhi? Would appreciate news references or a brief report. Best regards, Wendell Cox ----- Original Message ----- From: SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE To: Sustran Discuss ; Kerry Wood Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2000 2:29 PM Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis > > > SAVE BOMBAY COMMITEE wrote: > > > > > > > Kerry's reply dated 13.04.2000 was enlightening. At present the > > government policy is of promoting use of diesel. All public buses and > > heavy duty trucks operate on diesel cheaper in price than bottled > > mineral water. Public Transport Undertaking has introduced less than > > ten CNG operating buses in the total fleet of 3500 buses. > > > > Cycles are getting out as man's mode of traffic due to serious > > traffic hazard because roads are full of private cars and heavy > > duty vehicles. Though cycles are more efficient (I agree with you), > > car owners are not ready to go over to cycles or even leave the cars > > at home. In Indian cities motor cycles outnumber all modes for > > movement, Cycles riding cannot be safe till cycle lanes are provided > > and effectively guarded. > > > > Bus lanes are rare however reserving only one 3.5 m wide lane is > > workable even for buses. In Mumbai some of the main corridors carry > > between 25 to 50 bus routes. Buses move in platoons resulting in > > severe delays. In crowded roads, buses move at an average spped of > > 8-10 km an hour. Roads are over crowded. Pavements are encroached by > > parked vehicles, hawkers, shop extensions, waste bins of different > > sizes some of 2m x 4m in ht of 2.5 m. Motor cycles jump over to > > pavements to bypass vehicular traffic jams . We have had no occasion > > to see the two manuals you have referred and difficult to locate in > > India. Can you kindly obtain for us. > > > > The fact that the Delhi authorities could not think of providing > > protection and safety to cycles even in the crisis created by sudden > > withdrawal of old buses shows that cycles are not considered as an > > efficient mode of traffic. More cars will come on road because car > > owning is encouraged and there is substantial drop in the prices of > > second hand cars. Best wishes, > > > > Kisan Mehta > > President > > Save Bombay Committee > > 620 Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East, > > MUMBAI - 400 014 > > Tel 00 91 22 414 96 88 > > Fax 00 91 22 415 55 36 > > > > > > From kerry.wood at paradise.net.nz Sun Apr 16 05:53:37 2000 From: kerry.wood at paradise.net.nz (Kerry Wood) Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 09:53:37 +1300 Subject: [sustran] Re: Updates on Delhi bus crisis References: <3.0.6.32.20000412175031.00836b40@relay101.jaring.my> <38F50063.7A479EF3@paradise.net.nz> <38F535FB.49125139@beag.net> Message-ID: <38F8D6D1.CCB2F0BF@paradise.net.nz> Dear Debi Sorry, but I know very little about diesel/CNG systems: I will see what I can find out on Monday. My understanding is that the diesel engine still has a standard diesel fuel system, presumably with a modified link between the accelerator pedal and the injection pump. It also has a CNG tank, or more likely tanks, and an injection system into the engine's intake manifold. When the engine is idling it runs entirely on diesel, but when under power it runs on enough diesel to provide ignition, and the rest is CNG. >From memory the overall result is that about two thirds of the energy use is CNG. Obviously a special control system is needed, to keep CNG and diesel in balance. Unfortunately getting books is not easy for me either: sustainable transport is not very profitable in New Zealand! I do have a spare copy of the first edition of the Sustrans Manual (1994), which I shall mail to you on Monday. It is a useful document In New Zealand, but my guess is that in Mumbai it will need revision to cover things like greater widths for large numbers of cyclists, and some thought about motor cyclists. The Dutch view seems to be that they are better in the motor traffic stream, but physically keeping them out of cycle tracks is impractical (however, cars can be kept out by bollards spaced 1.5 m apart). In Mumbai, pedal cycle numbers might be high enough to stop the motorcycles going too fast, or you could try speed humps where needed. Some information from the CROW manual might be helpful: ? Minimum width of a cycle lane is 1.5 m, maximum width 2.5 m (any wider and it gets used as a parking or traffic lane) ? A cycle track (physically segregated from motor traffic, with a separation strip) should have a capacity of about (((Width - 0.8 m) x 3300) + 1000) cycles per hour one way (that is my interpretation of the data in CROW, but remember that the minimum practical width is 2.0 m for one way or 2.5 m for two way) ? CROW give a speed hump design to slow motorcycles, but they suggest it is only used at dangerous sites. The diagram is not very clear (figure 7.5) but they use two humps, one immediately after the other. Humps are 120 mm high with a 10% ramp each side and a flat top 0.5 m long. ? Minimum width for a combined bus/cycle lane is 4.2 m, or 6.2 m for buses in one direction but cycles in both directions. Hope that is helpful. Kerry -- Kerry Wood MICE MIPENZ MCIT Transport Consultant 1 McFarlane Street, Wellington 6001, New Zealand Phone + 64 4 971 5549 From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sun Apr 16 22:05:14 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 15:05:14 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Responsible sustainable transportation research Message-ID: If we do observe, reflect and do research, if we share our knowledge and insights with others in a limited way, is that enough? Or, as Bill Joy put it recently in "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us" (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html ): "Knowing is not a rationale for not acting." In this context, I would like to draw your attention to the first article that appears in the latest edition of @World Transport Policy and Practice - The Electronic Edition (http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp) - whose publication will be shortly announced here formally by the editor in chief Professor John Whitelegg. The authors of "Sustainable Transport in Liverpool", Paul Trantner and Peter Lonergan, have in effect carried out what might reasonably be called an "independent sustainable transportation audit" of the policies and practices of that city and its surroundings. It is, as you might guess, not all good news and glowing recommendations. Not the sort of thing to warm the hearts of those who are presently responsible for what is gong on there in this area - or rather in all too many cases, not going on. My purpose in drawing this article to your attention is two-fold. First to draw your attention to what I regard as a particularly good and provocative read. Second, to invite commentary not only on its contents - but further on a proposal that I should like to put up for discussion, that such independent, informed and balanced sustainability audits be carried out and shared with the public in ALL of our cities and communities. In this latter respect the Liverpool case study provides us with an interesting concrete example which we can examine, turn over and reflect upon. What if anything is the potential impact of such information on policy and practice in that place? Does this independent call for action in a number of specific areas have any potential as a grain of sand in the political and policy process? If so, wow can its impact be extended and deepened? Should more of us be doing the same in our communities? Etc. So, we invite you aboard, and if you do have anything interesting to say on this subject, you might for now wish to copy your contribution to all four of the above lists, each of which has its own readership. (It's true that we risk doubling up in a few cases, and indeed we continue to scratch away at the task of finding new ways in which such laborious and potentially irritating cross-posting can be done away with. However we are not there yet.) Eric Britton ecopl@n ___ technology, economy, society ___ Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Eric.Britton@ecoplan.org URL www.ecoplan.org Voice/Videoconference +331.4441.6340 (1-4) Voicemail/Fax hotline: Europe +331 5301 2896 Voicemail/Fax hotline: North America +1 888 522 6419 (toll free) From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Wed Apr 19 10:10:44 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 09:10:44 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Hanoi bus plan Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000419091044.007a0400@central.murdoch.edu.au> [ Viet Search Engine on VietGATE http://www.vietgate.net ] [vnforum] - Mesg from kenphan@webmail.netimages.com April 18 Ambitious public bus plan stalls in congested Hanoi (VNS)- A bold plan for buses to meet one-third of Hanoi's public transport needs by the end of this year has run out of gas despite being approved by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai two years ago. Government Decision No.40 dated February 18, 1998 stipulated that Hanoi would have more than 1,500 buses operating on 66 bus routes. The goal required total investments of VND 493 billion (US$35.2 million) mobilized from various sources and disbursed by the end of 2000. Some of this was to be spent upgrading bus stops and widening roads to densely populated areas. "The plan has remained unfinished due to a shortage of funding", admits deputy director of the Centre for Urban Transportation Management and Operations (CUTMO) Nguyen Trong Thong. However, bus managers in the city have tried hard to make full use of what little investment was received and there are now 31 bus routes where there was just 13 before the decision was made. The decision also stipulated that investment should be made in upgrading bus stations and expanding routes, but very little of this has been achieved. "Although the Government has allowed bus managers to enter into joint-ventures with other sectors and foreign investors to lure capital, no one has so far been interested in loss-suffering businesses like ours", Thong frankly pointed out. As a matter of fact, bus services have never broken even and last year suffered a loss of VND 11 billion. Deputy Director Thong estimated that the Government would have to subsidise services by VND25 billion in 1999, and up to VND40 billion this year if the plan for a fleet of almost 2,000 buses was put on the road. "The more we expand, the heavier our losses," he said. One major factor responsible for such heavy losses is the no-ticket-pay practice where conductors collect fares from customers but do not give them tickets. "He asked me to pay a little less than the printed price and so, it's fine not to get the ticket, " a customer at Giap Bat bus-station told Viet Nam News. CUTMO is trying to stamp out the problem, but results have been disappointing so far. Currently three State owned businesses of Hanoi - Bus Company, Southern Bus Service Company and Hanoi Tram Company provide public bus services. Between them, they have a fleet of 300 buses- although many are 24 seat vans converted to buses. Thong says feasibility studies for developing bus transport have been written and rewritten, year after year, but none have been carried out due to a lack of money. More importantly, urban developers have not seen the studies as crucial. As it stands, all three-bus companies in Hanoi have to rely on sideline businesses to run their services. The Hanoi Tram Company produces children's toys, while the Hanoi Bus Service earns extra income by garaging cars and operating maintenance workshops. That's despite the CUTMO 1999 annual report showing that a record of 11.5 million passengers used the service, up 30 per cent on previous years. ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Fri Apr 21 14:43:36 2000 From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend) Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 13:43:36 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Thailand motorcycles Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000421134336.007a44c0@central.murdoch.edu.au> >From The Nation (Thailand) Internet Edition, 21 April 2000 Motorcycle sales zoom to record high NEW motorcycle sales in Thailand hit a 31 month high in March, with sales rising 68 per cent yearonyear, said a report from AP Honda Ltd. Domestic motorcycle sales last month totalled 82,330 units, the high?est figure since the 92,009 sold in July 1997, before the country slid into a deep recession. Industry leader Honda posted the weakest gains for the month, with sales rising 61 per cent, while the number two company Yamaha boost?ed sales by 120 per cent. Thirdplace Suzuki sold 77 per cent more motor?cycles and Kawasaki sales increased 74 per cent. The four motorcycle companies sold a total of 206,157 units during the first quarter, up 88,855 units or 76 per cent compared to last year?s 117,302 units, said Theerapong Jivapong, the executive director of AP Honda. He attributed the increased demand to higher employment, lower interest rates for motorcycle purchases and the overall improvement of the economy. High fuel prices helped sales of fourstroke engine motorcycles as they consume less oil than the 2stroke engines, Theerapong said, adding that companies have also done heavier promotion for 4stroke motor?cycles. The more fuelefficient bikes took 61 per cent of the market in the first quarter. Fourstroke motorcycles have grown steadily from a 45 per cent market share to 52 per cent of total sales last year, he said. Honda conquered 73 per cent share of the total market during the first quarter with sales rising by 71 per cent yearonyear; Yamaha took 11 per cent with 56 per cent sales growth; Suzuki, which managed to raise its sales by 143 per cent, held a 10 per cent share; and Kawasaki remained in fourth place with a three per cent share and a 43 per cent sales increase, the report said. By segment, familyoriented motor?cycles registered the strongest growth at 84 per cent, accounting for 67 per cent of total sales in the threemonth period. Mopeds had a 29 per cent share with sales rising 74 per cent; and sports motorcycles rose 11 per cent and held a 4 per cent share, the report added. Meanwhile, domestic new car sales rose 51.2 per cent to 54,786 in the first quarter. Monthly sales of commercial vehicles and pickup trucks also surged, affirming the expansion of business activities, said Toyota Motor Thailand Ltd, which compiled auto sales figures on behalf of the industry. The Nation LAST MODIFIED: Thursday, 20-Apr-00 ________________________________________________ Craig Townsend Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch Perth, Western Australia 6150 tel: (61 8) 9360 6293 fax: (61 8) 9360 6421 email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au From ganant at vsnl.com Fri Apr 21 17:14:37 2000 From: ganant at vsnl.com (ganant@vsnl.com) Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 13:44:37 +0530 (IST) Subject: [sustran] Malaysia transit Message-ID: <200004210814.NAA29655@mypage.vsnl.com> Paul I have an opportunity to visit Kuala Lumpur between April 27-29 on my way back from Kota Kinabalu. My chosen transit options everywhere are buses and urban rail. Any suggestions/resources on commuting in KL, starting with airport - city travel options ? If you are not too busy, I could also say hello to you. Best Wishes Ananth Ananthakrishnan, journalist, Chennai, India Tel: + 91 44 4834848 Fax: + 91 44 8415395 Mobile: + 91 98410 17175 From sustran at po.jaring.my Tue Apr 25 09:56:21 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 08:56:21 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: Tokyo diesel pollution woes Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000425085621.00839100@relay101.jaring.my> I believe that Tokyo now has rather clean air by Asian standards. But they are still worried about the diesel. Paul. ----------------------------- The Star newspaper, features section Tuesday, April 25, 2000 Environment Cheap diesel or clean air? By Jacqueline Ann Surin LIKE most major cities in the world, Tokyo's main source of air pollution is vehicular emissions. A total of 650,000 cars are registered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and out of this, 250,000 enter the city each day. "All private and public transportation systems converge in the centre of Tokyo. This is one of the major reasons for the severe air pollution we face," says Masahiko Kuroda, an officer with the metropolitan's Bureau of Environmental Protection. "Diesel trucks and buses contribute a great deal to this pollution," he adds. Statistics show that diesel-powered vehicles account for only 20% of the total distance travelled by all vehicles, but their engines are responsible for about 70% of the nitrogen oxide and almost 100% of suspended particulate matter (SPM) emitted. In the past 10 years, the metropolitan has achieved little success in reducing the levels of nitrogen oxide and SPM, two of the eight parameters used to measure air quality. (The other six parameters are sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, photochemical oxidant, benzene, tricholoroethylene and tetrachloroethylene.) The worsening air quality and increasing public health standards are what prompted Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara to launch a campaign against diesel vehicles last August. The three-month campaign dubbed Say No! to Diesel Vehicles was to raise awareness about the damage diesel vehicles do to the environment. In an interview with the Metropolitan Government's bulletin, Ishihara showed that a 10-tonne diesel truck emitted one gram of black smoke (which contains SPM) after travelling just 1km at an average speed of 20kph. "Given the total traffic volume of diesel-powered vehicles in Tokyo, as much as 12 tonnes of black smoke particles are estimated to be emitted into Tokyo every day. This amount is enough to fill as many as 120,000 small plastic (mineral water) bottles," the Governor was quoted as saying. Despite the Governor's strong position on diesel emission pollution, much still needs to be done to reduce the number of diesel vehicles on the road. "Diesel is cheaper than gasoline (petrol) because of the taxes imposed on the latter. We have to convince the national government to reduce the taxes on gasoline to encourage more people to make the switch," Kuroda explains. He adds that diesel engines are technologically superior, suffer less breakdowns and are more powerful. "As a result, all large-sized vehicles use diesel engines." Kuroda stresses that the Metropolitan Government is not denying the viability of diesel engines but is saying "No" to their present form. "If automobile makers can modify the engines to improve its vehicular emissions, then diesel engines can make a comeback," he says. The battle to clean up the air in Tokyo is still an uphill task but with strong leadership from Ishihara, Kuroda is hopeful that the task will be possible. The Governor pointed out in his interview with the bulletin that the population in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area totalled 33 million--one third of Japan's overall population. "As governor of Japan's capital, I cannot tolerate the current state of Tokyo's air pollution," he said when asked what he would do if the automobile and related industries opposed his proposed regulations on diesel-powered vehicles. Copyright ? 1995-2000. Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. (Co No. 10894-D) All rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran From sustran at po.jaring.my Tue Apr 25 10:09:59 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:09:59 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd Indonesia vehicle pollution news Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000425090959.0083abe0@relay101.jaring.my> The Jakarta Post City News April 25, 2000 Leaded fuel ban unlikely before crisis ends JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Environment Sonny Keraf indicated on Monday that the switch to unleaded fuel would be applicable only after the prolonged economic crisis is over. "It's difficult to enforce the use of unleaded fuel nationwide because of economic constraints. "We need to wait for the economic recovery before we can expand the capacity of our unleaded fuel production," he told reporters during his visit to an automobile repair shop which provides a free vehicle emission check in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. "The Balongan fuel refinery plant in Indramayu, West Java, produces 30 percent of our national consumption of unleaded fuel, which is just enough to supply the Greater Jakarta area," he said. The government had set Jan. 1, 2000 for the capital to be free of leaded fuel, and 2003 for the nation. The visit was held in conjunction with the commemoration of Earth Day on April 22. Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Budihardjo Sukmadi, head of City Environmental Impact Management Agency Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno, City Council speaker Edy Waluyo, and officials from Swisscontact, a Swiss- based international environmental agency, were also part of the group. The program to check emission levels of vehicles is conducted by the city administration in cooperation with Swisscontact. There are 117 stations participating in the program, which started April 17 and runs until May 14. Sonny took the opportunity to have his new Volvo sedan checked, and the reading was still below the maximum standard. The maximum standard emission level set by city administration for vehicles using gasoline is 4.5 percent carbon monoxide, 11 percent carbon dioxide, 2 percent oxygen and 1,200 ppm (parts per million) hydrocarbon. The city administration will require emission-free certificates from residents who want to obtain vehicle documents. "The authorized institutions which will check vehicles are automobile repair shops. They have the equipment and the manpower," said Aboejoewono. "We'll also build an online computer system linking the stations to the city administration for this purpose," he added. It is estimated that there are some two million private cars in the city. In total, some 300 stations are needed to check cars. Each station will be equipped with a computerized gauge which will display the vehicles' emission levels automatically. The stations and operators are required to have a certificate before they are allowed to check cars. Sonny said, however, that checking vehicles' emission levels was not the only way to ensure clean air in the country. "This program alone will not be enough to ensure clean air. The government still has a lot to do, such as limiting the age of vehicles running on the streets, and producing unleaded fuel," he said. Although the service is a pilot project, vehicle emission tests have proven to be promising business for repair shop owners. "We have had at least ten new customers a day since the program began," the owner of the Nawilis repair shop on Jl. Tanah Abang I, Central Jakarta, Peter Nawilis, told The Jakarta Post during the minister's visit. "Most new customers only ask for the free emission check, but at least they have become more familiar with my repair shop," he added. "And I'm willing to pay any amount of money to get the vehicle emission check certificate as it will help boost my business." A Swisscontact official, Heru, said 90 percent of the cars checked were found to emit a high content of harmful gas because of errors in their engines' tune-up. "Most times, we don't have to make major repairs, but just calibrate the carburetor's setting. It's simple, isn't it? But it profoundly affects engine performance and air quality," he said. "Routine inspection and maintenance are also important for maintaining the engine's condition," he added. (09/nvn) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran From sustran at po.jaring.my Tue Apr 25 10:21:23 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:21:23 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd Indonesia earth day prelim reports Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000425092123.00818e90@relay101.jaring.my> The Jakarta Post National News April 23, 2000 President marks Earth Day, admits tough decisions National News ? April 23, 2000 JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid emphasized the government's commitment to environment preservation but conceded that compromises must sometimes be made for the country's economic interests. During a commemoration of the 30th Earth Day at the State Palace on Saturday, the President cited that he was often at a paradox on several issues including the controversy over pulp and rayon firm PT Inti Indorayon, in Porsea, North Sumatra. ... other stuff snipped .... Cars State Minister of Environment Sony Keraf has been trying to boost the commemoration of Earth Day by, among other things, calling on people to refrain from using automobiles on Sunday. Aware of the appeal, Abdurrahman said he could not oblige. "Tomorrow (Sunday) I must go to Surabaya. It's impossible for me not to use a car. You should have informed me about the program much earlier," the President said with a smile. Separately, residents in the capital showed mixed reactions over the appeal not use their private vehicles on Sunday. "It won't be a big problem for me to follow the call as it is a holiday," said businessman Gunawan Tjahjadi. Restaurant manager Johny Nicholas said that he could only follow the appeal after going to church in the morning. "There's no other choice then using my private car to go to the church tomorrow," he said. Earlier on Saturday around 1,000 pedicab drivers in Jakarta commemorated Earth Day by pedaling their becaks on the city's main thoroughfares even though existing law actually prohibit them from passing through these streets. "The becak is an environment-friendly vehicle. But the vehicle is banned from operating in Jakarta by the administration," said Edi Saidi, the rally coordinator .... some other stuff snipped.... The Bandung administration is also calling for its residents not to use their private automobiles from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Administration spokesman Ishaq Rauf announced through local radio stations and publications that the appeal was in response to the state minister's request. Ishaq claimed air pollution in Bandung had reached an intolerable limit. "This can be seen at city parks where most of the plants do not have flowers," he said without elaborating. (har/zen/25/ind/asa/sur/prb) All contents copyright ? of The Jakarta Post. webmaster@thejakartapost.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran From sustran at po.jaring.my Tue Apr 25 17:20:06 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:20:06 +0800 Subject: [sustran] News feature on KL public transport Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000425162006.00805100@relay101.jaring.my> Dear sustran-discussers, A journalist friend, Mr LEONG Shen Li, who is a member of our local Malaysia-Transport egroup, has come out with an excellent feature article on public transport problems here in the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur's metropolitan area). It is in the Star features section, Monday, April 24, 2000. Unfortunately it is too long to repost here. But just for the next 6 days it can be seen online at: http://www.thestar.com.my/online/pastnews.asp?ppath=\2000\4\24&psect=Features A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran Ask about SUSTRAN NEWS FLASHES - news updates on people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on countries in the global 'South'. From sustran at po.jaring.my Wed Apr 26 12:06:12 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 11:06:12 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: Mumbai mulls traffic demand management Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000426110612.0083ad00@relay101.jaring.my> The Times of India Wed 26 April 2000 Stringent rules are mooted to rein in polluting motorists By Our Transport Correspondent MUMBAI: Private vehicle owners will have to start exercising some restraint soon if the traffic demand management system envisaged by the high court appointed panel on vehicular pollution comes through. A scheme for control of motorists is likely to be in place by October and is among a host of short-term measures the panel has proposed to ease congestion and pollution in the city. The panel headed by transport commissioner V.M. Lal submitted its report on Friday, recommending 101 wide-ranging, long-term, stringent measures and norms covering all aspects of vehicular pollution, including fuel quality and adulteration, automobile emission norms, vehicle maintenance and traffic management. The traffic control measures include synchronised traffic signals, exclusive bus lanes, removal of unauthorised speed breakers and banning of morchas. Foremost is the traffic restraint system which will mean that private vehicles ending with licence numbers 1 and 2 will not be allowed to ply in the island city on Monday. Similarly, vehicles with registration numbers ending with 3 or 4 will not be allowed to ply on Tuesday, 5 or 6 on Wednesday, 7 or 8 on Thursday, 9 or 0 on Fridays. This will reduce the traffic on the road by 20 per cent and will also apply to outside vehicles. Other measures include banning of parking on arterial roads during certain hours from June 2000, and ensuring that the Wadala truck terminus, which has been pending for a long time, becomes functional by December. All tourist vehicles coming from outside Mumbai will then have to stop there. The report also calls for the setting up of three control rooms with toll free numbers by June this year, one by the corporation and the traffic police to take complaints on potholes, speed breakers and abandoned vehicles. Another control room run by the motor vehicles department will take complaints about polluting vehicles. Initiating sudden road digging like the kind the city has seen of late might not be so easy anymore for the corporation as the panel calls for a high powered committee to coordinate road digging activity of different utility services like MTNL, Mahanagar Gas, BEST and the BMC. All encroachments should also be removed from the roads, it states. The report acknowledges the importance of public transport, and suggests an additional 500 air conditioned BEST buses and upgrading of rail services, a mobile phone taxi service and a separate transport link from Haji Ali to Nariman Point. However, the panel leaves out the details of how transport can be improved, instead mooting a committee of transport experts and an Urban Transport Authority to implement a proper urban transport system. Noting that the national emission and air quality norms are a little out dated, the panel has also made recommendations for emission norms. The permissible limit of 65 hartridge units for diesel vehicles will be brought down to 45 by July and the carbon monoxide emission norms for two and three wheelers will be brought down from 4.5 percent to three per cent. Continuous air quality monitoring will have to be established by January 2001, including for CO and Benzene. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has been given an impetus as a clean fuel. The report has asked for customs duties, sales tax, excise, octroi to be waived on CNG kits. To make it easier to set up CNG filling stations, the panel recommends amendment of the development control rules and a single window clearance system. ``CNG prices should also be kept lower than diesel prices,'' the report suggests, and sets maximum time limits for filling in a station. One of the most common complaints from CNG taxi drivers had been the long wait at the stations. The panel, which was appointed by the high court in connection with a public interest litigation on pollution, consisted of the transport commissioner, joint secretary of the ministry of environment and forests Vijai Sharma, additional director general of police P.S. Pasricha, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board engineer A.M. Deshpande, two non-governmental organisation representatives, Debi Goenka and Zinia Khajotia. (This is the second in a two-part series) For comments and feedback send Email ? Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. ------------------------------------------ Distributed for the purpose of education and research. A. Rahman Paul BARTER SUSTRAN Resource Centre P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network) http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran From sustran at po.jaring.my Fri Apr 28 17:40:41 2000 From: sustran at po.jaring.my (SUSTRAN Resource Centre) Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 16:40:41 +0800 Subject: [sustran] fwd: world transport policy and practice quarterly announcement Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20000428164041.00835670@relay101.jaring.my> This bounced because John is not on the list. So I am forwarding it. Paul ----------------------- From: John Whitelegg World Transport Policy & Practice-quarterly announcement World Transport Policy & Practice is a quarterly journal which is = available free of charge as Adobe Acrobat? PDF files on the internet at = [http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/index.htm]. This will help it to reach a = wider readership, encompassing advocates and activists as well as = academics and advisers. With this in mind we trialled a recent issue = [Volume 5, Number 3] as a PDF file and placed it at = [http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/index.htm]. We have just placed Volume 6, Number 1 on the internet at = [http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/index.htm]. Contents of Volume 6, Number 1: Editorial John Whitelegg Traffic reduction versus development pressures: Sustainable transport in Liverpool, United Kingdom Paul Tranter & Peter Lonergan The Ten Myths of Automobile Dependence Peter Newman & Jeff Kenworthy 'Moving together' - on shaping automobilisation J=F6rg Beckmann Sustainable Development & Transportation: Past Experiences and Future Challenges Edward Akinyemi & Mark Zuidgeest Sustainable Transport - A Comparative Analysis of Israel, the = Netherlands and the United Kingdom Pnina O. Plaut & Deborah F. Shmueli World Transport Policy & Practice Eco-Logica Ltd., 53 Derwent Road, LANCASTER, LA1 3ES. U.K. telephone +44 1524 63175 fax +44 1524 848340 Editor: Professor John Whitelegg [mailto:ecologic@gn.apc.org] Business Manager: Pascal Desmond [mailto:pascal@gn.apc.org] http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/index.htm From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Sat Apr 29 20:45:10 2000 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (eric.britton@ecoplan.org) Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 13:45:10 +0200 Subject: [sustran] World Transport Policy & Practice - Latest edition now freely available Message-ID: World Transport Policy & Practice - Latest edition now available Paris, 04/29/00 The Journal of World Transport Policy & Practice is a quarterly which is available free of charge under The Commons. The only practically-oriented journal dealing with the major issues in a field of international concern, World Transport Policy and Practice provides a high-quality medium for original and creative ideas in world transport. We are now making it free in an attempt to reach a wider readership, encompassing advocates and activists as well as academics and advisers. Volume 6, Number 1 is now available at http://ecoplan.org/wtpp/. Its contents include: * Editorial - John Whitelegg * "Traffic reduction versus development pressures: Sustainable transport in Liverpool, United Kingdom" - Paul Tranter & Peter Lonergan * "The Ten Myths of Automobile Dependence" - Peter Newman & Jeff Kenworthy * "Moving together - on shaping automobilisation" - J Beckmann * "Sustainable Development & Transportation: Past Experiences and Future Challenges" - Edward Akinyemi & Mark Zuidgeest * Sustainable Transport - A Comparative Analysis of Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom" - Pnina O. Plaut & Deborah F. Shmueli The Journal's Web site provides not only background information and access to past copies, but also a number of communications tools, including a discussion forum.. Letters to the editor and contributions are invited. The Journal is supported by voluntary contributions. Further details and background are available at http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp.