[sustran] Bogotá CFD - How to handle a very difficult exception: FOR DISCUSSION

[eric.britton at ecoplan.org]

		QUERY:

		Donald Brackenbush, an urban planner/venture capitalist from
LA, has written in asking about the following Car Free Day issues in Bogotá.


		He points out that, given the difficult situation with
violence and security that are the features of daily life for many in Bogotá
and Colombia, how do the organizers propose to deal with the problems posed
by cars which are used by high profile members of both the political
establishment, industry and financial communities. Under normal
circumstances a fair number of these people feel constrained to travel to
and from work each day in vehicles which are specially armored to protect
their passengers, and also are often accompanied by bodyguards. 

		His second point is this. Since this is a reality of the
2000 landscape in Bogotá, the organizers face one of two choices: either
ignore it and hope for the best, or figure out a positive strategy for
dealing with it.  He asks us for our views on this.

		PROPOSED RESPONSE – FOR DISCUSSION:

		Since this is intended not as a definitive answer but rather
as a step in the direction of dealing with this thorny side issue of the
Bogotá program, let me use numbered paragraphs so as to invite discussion
and comment:

1.	In most such instances (i.e., not just of this particular situation
in Bogotá but in general when something comes of as complicated and
uncomfortable as this, striking directly as it does at some of the most
powerful figures in the community), the choice of an administered
bureaucracy is usually to duck the issue and hope for the best.

2.	Any such decision on the 24th will, in my view at least,
substantially discredit the whole effort, in a very fundamental way, bearing
in mind that the bottom line of the Car Free Day is that it is an exercise
in popular democracy.  Were such violations implicitly accepted, the very
tissue of the underlying idea would thus be violated and rendered a bit of a
bad joke.

3.	In this case, there are a couple of Car Free Day principles that are
perhaps worth recalling:
a.	The importance that there be no exceptions.
b.	The fact, however, that the ultimate goal behind the Car Free Day
philosophy (at least as I understand it) is not a city without cars, but
rather a city with A LOT FEWER cars (call it 80% less than today’s total if
you need a crude preliminary target to get us going).
c.	So in fact, we really do want SOME cars out there on the street, but
at the same time we better have some pretty good reasons for the ones we let
out there.
d.	Moreover, these exceptions need to be clearly marked and explicitly
justified to everyone who is participating.

4.	Suppose this particular sub-class of car dependent people is treated
in the following way:
a.	They are invited to apply for an exception under the following
rules.
b.	They must file an application and agree to the following terms.
c.	Their vehicle will be marked in some way to indicate that they have
qualified for an exception (perhaps a ribbon, something modest, marking but
visible). They must also display a copy of their “Exception document” on
their wind screen/shield.
d.	The charge for this exception will be a very high fee – say on the
order of US $1,000.00 (they can afford it).
e.	This fee will be publicly accountable (perhaps indicated by a
‘thermometer’ of some sort on the Web page), and will be specifically
earmarked to support the purposes of the car free day (in short: a
sustainable transport system for Bogotá and social justice).
f.	Time and organizing permitting, I for one would like to see these
funds used to support the 20 minute video that we think could be creatively
used to map the organization and performance of the day (and the reactions
to it), which in turn could be useful raw materials both for Bogotá’s NEXT
Car Free Day and for those other cities wishing to learn the lessons of
Bogotá.
g.	Failing that I am sure, however, that the mayor will be able to
figure out some creative, visible ways of putting this unexpected money to
work for the Car Free cause in Bogotá.  

		This of course does not solve their problem, but as those of
us involved in these planning and policy issues, a good question is more
important than many possible answers.  And this is a good question.

		Your views and counsel to our colleagues in Bogotá?
		

		Eric Britton

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