From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Wed Jan 2 01:11:54 2002
From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (Eric Britton)
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 17:11:54 +0100
Subject: [sustran] Stockholm Partnerships and its International Prize program
Message-ID: <001601c192df$07dcaeb0$6501a8c0@home>
Dear Sustran Friends,
For those of us who are serious concerned with advancing the
sustainability agenda in cities, there is something very interesting
that is taking shape in Stockholm for the next six months.
The program in question is the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable
Cities. It is a multi-part event which includes a first class
interactive web site, an international competition for outstanding
sustainability projects in cities world wide, and in the first week of
June in Stockholm an Expo of the best of these projects together with a
wide-open what you may think of as a conference until you see the way
they have decided to bring people together to share ideas and learn from
each other. For more on this, I?d like to invite you to have a look at
their excellent web site at
www.partnerships.stockholm.se/.
My reason for getting in touch with you on this is to see if you can
help us get the word out to cities and teams around the world that are
leading the way with pattern-breaking projects in many areas which are
helping achieve more sustainable and more socially just cities that are
healthy and happy places for our children to grow up, learn and prosper
in. So if you happen to know of projects or teams working with concrete
projects that may not only be interesting in and of themselves in the
place where they are being develop, but which also may have good
potential for low cost replication in other places, anything that you
can do to begin them into the Stockholm Partnerships Cities Innovation
Knowledge will be most appreciated. And while we are of course
interested in the more familiar potential North/South transfer
possibilities, it is the South/South transfers that are among our
greatest concerns. (And from my particular perspective, anything that
can serve as a South/North teaching and information exchange tool will
be particularly welcome and most timely.)
Why should anybody take the time to add their project to this World
Knowledge Base of Sustainable Cities Innovations? Well because
sometimes international acknowledgment can be a big help in generating
local understanding and support of your concept. And because it is, I
believe, an interesting learning process in itself, as you look through
and understand what others are trying to do to break the old patterns of
unsustainability. And finally, because this database is going to be
maintained in the future and will certainly provide a valuable resource
for others who can in this way benefit from your experience. I perhaps
should add that the fifty Finalist projects will all be invited to come
to Stockholm for the June events, and if it is a team from a developing
country without a budget, the organizers are going to try to find a way
to lend a hand.
You may also have other interested people, lists and networks with whom
you can share this information. And if that would not be too much
trouble, it would be much appreciated by all of us who are working to
make this the kind of success of which we are much in need, North and
South.
With all good wishes to you and your families for a happy and healthy
2002,
Eric
PS. We are also on the lookout for a certain number of what I think of
as ?Pattern Break Concept Nominations?, ideas that may have been around
for a number of years but which are still leading the way to
sustainability in practice and in thinking in many places. Examples of
the sort of thing I have in mind which stem from the
traffic/transport/cities side might include:
* The Dutch Woonerf (1968, Gronigen, The Netherlands)
* The Swedish
F?rdtj?nst handicapped transport system (also known as STS, Special
Transport Services) (1968, Gothenburg, Sweden?)
* Carsharing ? as an emerging world movement (multiple origins,
tracing back to early seventies, with no one behind it other than
entrepreneurship and good sense)
* The Danish City Engineer Copenhagen Model in 1968 ? ?wherever
you spot a bottleneck in the traffic, make it worse?
* The Amsterdam White Bicycle and its descendants (Luud
Schimmelpennink, 1967?)
Thus if you have either further examples or, better yet, leads as to
people or groups who are in a good position to make these nominations,
it would be a great help. Kind thanks in any event.
The Commons __ technology, economy, society__
Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France
Day phone: +331 4326 1323 Mobile: +336 80 96 78 79
24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +331 5301 2896
http://ecoplan.org/ IP Videoconference: 193.251.38.219
Email: ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr URL www.ecoplan.org
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From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Wed Jan 2 10:49:34 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 09:49:34 +0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN #30
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0E4C2945@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
===================================
-- -- -- -- CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN -- -- -- -- --
===================================
Edition no. 30 - December 2001 - English version
............................................................................
......
CAR BUSTERS Magazine and Resource Centre
Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic
tel: +(420) 2-7481-0849 ; fax: +(420) 2-7481-6727 -
- INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURE AGAINST
ELEVEN EUROPEAN COMISSION MEMBER STATES
- PENSIONERS STRANDED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC
- URBAN HORSES
- SUV IN THE DICH
- HALLOWEEN, AN EXAMPLE ON
HOW THE REVOLUTION COULD WORK
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- DISCLAIMER
INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURE AGAINST
ELEVEN EUROPEAN COMISSION MEMBER STATES
for faiture to monitor CO2 emissions from passenger cars.
The European Commission has decided to open infringement procedures against
Austria, Greece, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden for failing to comply with important
elements of a 2000 Decision
(1753/2000/EC) on monitoring average specific emissions of CO2 from new
passenger cars.
Commenting on the legal action taken, Environment Commissioner Margot
Wallstr?m said: "We hope that the Member States concerned will provide us
with the required data as soon as possible. It is an important element of
the Commission's proposed strategy for reducing CO2 emissions from passenger
cars and for improving fuel economy. It also helps Member States achieve the
targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are set in the Kyoto
Protocol." The 2000 Decision is aimed at ensuring that minimum data is
compiled to enable the proper functioning of a Community scheme to monitor
the average specific emissions of CO2 from new passenger cars registered in
the EU. Furthermore, it requires Member States to supply the Commission with
data when requested, to designate
a competent authority to collect and communicate the monitoring
information and to report to the Commission on how they intend to
implement its provisions. The deadline for information gathering,
communicating and monitoring and for reporting on implementation was
28 February 2001.
None of the Member States concerned has reported to the Commission, within
the stipulated 28 February 2001 deadline, on how they intend to implement
its provisions. None of the Member States concerned, except for Finland, has
designated a competent authority to collect and communicate the monitoring
information before the given 28 February 2001 deadline. None, except for
Finland, has supplied the Commission with the necessary data with regard to
CO2 emissions from passenger cars before the 1 July 2001 deadline. It should
be mentioned, however, that a few Member States did meet some of these
requirements, but this was only after the given deadline had passed, e.g.
Denmark and Italy passed the data. Brussels, 10 December 2001 - from
www.climnet.org:
PENSIONERS STRANDED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC
In London, U.K., pensioners have become prisoners in their own homes -
because an ambulance which usually takes them to a day centre cannot
negotiate their traffic-clogged street.
The ambulance is supposed to pick them
up from sheltered accommodation in
Holland Grove, Brixton, and take them to a
local day centre. But it stopped the run a
fortnight ago because it is unable get into
the car park of the old people's housing.
A spokeswoman for Lambeth council, which runs the ambulance service,
said: "Cars park flush to the corner of the entrance so the ambulance can't
negotiate the corner to get into the scheme." Treasurer of Holland
Grove Residents' Association, Marie Farrell, told the South London
Press: "These people are actually prisoners in their own
homes."Association chairman Tony Heggarty said bin lorries were also
having problems getting down the street.
He added residents were concerned a fire engine would not be able to
drive down the road. See:
URBAN HORSES
"Birmingham, U.K., is bidding to become the first city in Britain to bring
back traditional horse-drawn taxi carriage services." said Birmingham
Evening Mail. The story mentions that such services are "ever-present"
in
many European cities and for visitors to "New York's central park".
The idea will be trailed in our Jewellery Quarter at the area's day long
Street Craft Fair and Antiques Market. Martin Parnham of Festival organisers
"Town Centre Management" says "We think it would be ideal
for
Birmingham city centre because large parts of the city are pedestrianised.
They really are pleasant and I can envisage them driving up and down
Broad
Street."
I suspect these things cannot work where they must share streets with
cars
whose drivers think they should be able to go faster. If all traffic were to
be slowed down so that drivers did not get "held-up" by horse drawn traffic
the situation could improve. - from: "Simon Baddeley"
SUV IN THE DICH
Ford has ditched plans to use a form of gas-electric hybrid technology to
significantly improve the fuel-efficiency of the Explorer, the world's
best-selling Sport Utility Vehicle. Ford insiders said the decision was
made because of a cash shortage and less success than expected with the
"integrated starter- generator" technology, which would have saved gas when
the vehicle was at a standstill. The technology was integral to the
automaker's plan to boost SUV fuel-efficiency by 25 percent by 2005. A
spokesperson said Ford stood by that pledge, and CEO William Clay Ford, Jr.,
indicated that the company was still committed to hybrid versions of the
Escape, a smaller SUV.
- from Detroit Free Press, Jeffrey McCracken, 16 Nov
2001
HALLOWEEN, AN EXAMPLE ON
HOW THE REVOLUTION COULD WORK
It was a night of political action, righting the wrongs of corporate
capitalism, pulling the masks off the tyranny of the modern world: cars.
Part of the power of the subversive night came from the strength of
embodying something bigger and different than one's usual self. It started
with a sun, a cow pelvis druid, an undertaker with a rickshaw, Captain
Un-America, an owl, an unmasked instigator, and a reluctant tree,
(ResponsibiliTree). The idea of blocking Pacific
Avenue
[in Santa Cruz, California] had sprung from the beginning of the evening
while
adjusting costumes. The site of cars on Pacific dodging Halloween goers
and
overflowing sidewalks spurred more talk for the subversives. A city
council
member dressed as a monster approached the sun and said I thought
you'd have the street
blocked by now, lending more fuel to the flame. On the corner of Pacific and
Soquel, next to New Leaf, the sun and the owl fearlessly approached the
cars, the rickshaw took over the road, and the costume less instigator
grabbed a traffic barrier, come on let's block the road, I hung back.
The police we hadn't noticed before followed us into the street and said,
"You can not obstruct traffic," taking the barricades with them. We stood on
the corner somewhat defeated socializing with the passer bys, when someone
said let's go check out the intersection at Cathcart. We had
some
success, we were stopping the flow of traffic, except for the big ass SUVs
they could see the street wasn't full of people. The partygoers were
sticking to the sidewalks like all well trained citizens and not taking to
the streets even though we had created a space for them by stopping the
traffic. So we tried blocking the sidewalks and asking people to take the
street. A different couple of cops told us to stop directing traffic. The
cops left and after a bit we again started directing cars to either turn
right or left and not to go down Pacific. It was termed the talk and block
method, "oh you don't want to go down there, you will get nowhere."
This
is an example of a quiet revolution, and how a few masked individuals
strategically located can start a huge block party or a painless revolt. -
by Brown
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Chris Carlsson started the process of soliciting contributions for a
global Critical Mass history book, to celebrate the 10th birthday, in
September 2002, in San Francisco. Any writings, photos, flyers, xerocratic
missives, etc. that you'd like to contribute would be great, as would any
new essays, critial/analytical pieces, etc. Chris Carlsson,
, was co-founder
of Critical Mass in 1992
*One of the people who receive our bulletin sent us a correction. "For the
chronicle: the first motor-only highway wasn't inaugurated by Hitler in
1933, as your quotation from Wolfgang Sachs puts about."
"There
are rumors downt here [Italy] that the absolute premiere is the italian
Milano- Laghi (85 Km) opened in 1925." she said. "This of course doesn't
invalidate your report. It's only for the chronicle, as I said."
*The first issue of Culture Change magazine has been printed
It is numbered #19, in recognition of Auto-Free Times's
18 issues devoted to cultural change (in energy and land use). Positive
solutions to ecocide and the rat race are offered in this issue, but they
have just begun, so please send your suggestions and
submissions.
Visit the Culture Change website at http://www.culturechange.org
*Cutting Your Car Use (available from Car Busters) has sold over 10.000
copies in the 17 months since publication. This British self-help manual on
personal transport it's been reprinted twice and already updated.
Does
anyone want to discuss the rights or a version for any other country? Anna
Semlyen www.cuttingyourcaruse.co.uk
* The Ecotopia camp has already become a tradition. For many people
this
event is strongly connected with the Ecotopia Biketour. As you might already
know the next Ecotopia camp will take place in Ireland this summer. That
means that the 12th Ecotopia Biketour will cross for once again some of the
European countries with final destination the Irish island. People from all
over Europe are going to have the chance to have
a
wonderful and adventurous bike ride, visit some beautiful countries and
do
actions. It will probably start on July and some of the possible countries,
apart from Ireland, are England, France, Germany.
So, if there are people interested to participate or hopefully organize the
bike tour for their own countries, they can contact at the following email
address: . We are longing for your
interest and
your help.
*United Nations Volunteer in Bosnia for 6 months. There is an
opportunity
to work in Bosnia for the U. N. Volunteers Programme for 6 months
starting
as soon as posible. The focus of the work will be development of youth
policy and involvement in the "Joint Youth Programme". The placement
would
be ideal for a youth activist or trainer who has been involved in building
up national youth structures and also knows the European scene quite
well.
For more info contact
DISCLAIMER
Car Busters cannot be held liable for the weird reader-unfriendly
formatting of this bulletin which steams f ro m t........... ha
fackt t h at wee h a ve bean given a
.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAR BUSTERS Magazine and Resource Centre
Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic
Tel: +(420) 2-7481-08-49 ; Fax: +(420) 2-7481-67-27
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Wed Jan 2 10:57:52 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 09:57:52 +0800
Subject: [sustran] Fwd: website of International Traffic Medicine Association
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0E4C294F@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
>From the Transportation Communications Newsletter,
Thursday, December 27, 2001
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/messages
Web Site of the Day: International Traffic Medicine Association
This is an organization I hadn't heard of till today. The goal of ITMA is to
reduce human harm from traffic crashes and while the organization's name may
at first lead you to think it's membership is limited to medical
professionals, a closer look indicates it reaches out to all who have a role
to play in all modes of transportation. This includes a number of
transportation communications related areas such as public education,
emergency dispatchers and traffic engineering. The organization has their
2002 conference in Cairo, Egypt in September.
http://www.iaatm.org/
From pascal at gn.apc.org Wed Jan 2 19:53:07 2002
From: pascal at gn.apc.org (Pascal Desmond)
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 10:53:07 +0000
Subject: [sustran] World Transport Policy & Practice -- 7.3 -- quarterly
announcement
Message-ID: <20020102105307.12529@relay.plus.net>
Lancaster & Paris
December 2001
World Transport Policy & Practice, a quarterly journal edited by
Professor John Whitelegg, is available free of charge as Adobe Acrobat(TM)
PDF files on the internet at [http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_index.htm].
This will help it to reach a wider readership, encompassing advocates and
activists as well as academics and advisers.
Please REPLY to this message if you no longer wish to receive these
quarterly announcements OR if you have received duplicates.
We have just placed Volume 7, Number 3, 2001 on the internet at [http://
www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_index.htm]. Note that it is 3.7 MB.
Alternatively, you may download a 200 kB image-free version.
*** If you have difficulty in downloading the file,
*** please contact [mailto:eric.britton@ecoplan.org]
Eric recommends that you use MS Internet Explorer or Netscape 6.1 to
access the website.
Contents of Volume 7, Number 3, 2001:
Editorial
Philine Gaffron
Promoting cycling in the U.K.?- Problems experienced by the practitioners
Marcus Jones
Local Transport Plans, Planning Policy Guidance & Cycling policy: Issues
& future challenges
Hugh McClintock
Planning for more cycling: the York experience bucks the trend
James Harrison
Guidelines for a safety audit of bikeway systems
Cameron T. Matwie & John F. Morrall
Translating cycling policy into cycling practice
Tim Ryley
Another look at Germany's bicycle boom: implications for local
transportation policy & planning strategy in the U.S.A.
Heath Maddox
A Nicaraguan Street Clash
Joe Grengs
Shanghai: The greatest cycling city in the world?
Annemarie de Boom, Richard Walker & Rob Goldup
World Transport Policy & Practice
ISSN 1352-7614
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/wt_index.htm
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Thu Jan 3 13:01:00 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 12:01:00 +0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: CSE Chairperson Mr. Anil Agarwal passes away
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED50EB5@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
-----Original Message-----
From: webadmin@cseindia.org [mailto:webadmin@cseindia.org]
Sent: Thursday, 3 January 2002 10:58 AM
To: CSE-LIST2@listserv.cseindia.org
Subject: CSE Chairperson Mr. Anil Agarwal passes away
ENVIRONMENTALIST ANIL AGARWAL PASSES AWAY
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 2: Anil Agarwal, 54, Chairperson of the
New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment, passed
away in Dehradun today after a prolonged illness. He was
undergoing treatment for cancer and asthma, and is survived by his
wife and two daughters.
The cremation will take place at the Lodhi Road Crematorium at 3
pm today, January 3, 2002
Agarwal, a mechanical engineer trained at IIT Kanpur, began his
journalistic career as a science correspondent for the Hindustan
Times in 1973. He was the Editor of Down To Earth, India's premier
science and environment magazine. He has written for several
international publications including the London-based journals
Earthscan and New Scientist. He has written and edited more than
20 books on science and environment in India.
In 1980, Agarwal founded CSE, one of the world's most dynamic
NGOs.
>From 1983 to 1987, Agarwal chaired the world's largest network of
environmental NGOs, the Nairobi-based Environment Liasion
Centre. In 1987, the United Nations Environment Programme
elected him to its Global 500 Honor Roll for his work in the national
and international arena. The Indian Government has also honored
him with Padma Shri and Padma Bushan for his work in
environment and development
****************************************************************
CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT ( CSE )
41, TUGHLAKABAD INSTITUTIONAL AREA, NEW DELHI- 110 062
TELE: 608 1110, 608 1124
608 3394, 608 6399
FAX : 91-11-608 5879
VISIT US AT: http://www.cseindia.org
Email: webadmin@cseindia.org
****************************************************************
From kisansbc at vsnl.com Fri Jan 4 16:04:43 2002
From: kisansbc at vsnl.com (kisan mehta)
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 12:34:43 +0530
Subject: [sustran] Re: CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN #30
References:
Message-ID: <003401c194ee$17ac9c40$3226020a@im.eth.net>
Dear Ian,
We would be most happy to meet you as well as
help you in every way to understand the ground
conditions. We like to take funding agency
officials or researchers on a walking tour in addition
to talking. Realities are different from what one
reads in documents and drawings. We have not
studied your attached draft yet.
We are, in response to your 2 Jan email we are
separately sending our paper in the UN Workshop.
World Bank is being requested by our authorities
to revive the dropped loan proposal for the Mumbai
Urban Transport Project (MUTP), being discussed
for 10 years now. We have tried to present the
exact position to the Bank officials visiting from
time to time yet official submissions came out to
be so damaging to the people. We have addressed
a letter to the Bank President telling (as a last ditch
effort) as to how the loan would support motorisation
and affect air quality. It is a longish presentation
(as he needs to be fully informed). We can forward
to you if you do not get bored.
The MUTP, if at all implemented, would seal the
Mumbai's future say for next fifteen years during
it would become the world's second largest
megalopolis. No resource would be left to mitigate
hardship that is bound to flow from the MUTP.
You will agree that it is essential to show (however
unsavoury that may be) correct position. Citizens
do not expect Project Managers (civil servants) to
put real ground conditions and do not want to lose
the opportunity to improve government liquidity
Funding agencies are anxious to extend loans
as any banker would do. The Bank proudly
decIared that India has outstripped China as the
Bank's largest borrower. India's external debt recently
exceeded $ 100 billion and this literally means that
every Indian however hungry or illclad he may be
carries a debt burden of $ 100, amount higher than
the annual income of about 40% of Indians.
Best wishes.
Kisan Mehta and Priya Salvi
----- Original Message -----
From: Dr I S McCrae
To:
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 12:31 AM
Subject: re: [sustran] Re: CAR BUSTERS BULLETIN #30
From intlbike at ibike.org Sat Jan 5 09:44:48 2002
From: intlbike at ibike.org (David Mozer)
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:44:48 -0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: Mainstreaming Gender & Mobility issue
Message-ID:
F.Y.I.
-----Original Message-----
FROM : City & Shelter (Belgium)
Roland Mayerl
e-mail: city.shelter@skynet.be
www.cityshelter.org
tel/fax: +32 2 534 77 35
TO: International Bicycle Fund
OBJECT: Request of contacts and documents
on ?Mainstreaming Gender & Mobility issue?
Research, good practices and policies
Hello!
Our organisation has been charged by the Belgian Minister of
Transport ? Mrs Isabelle Durant - of setting up an inventory of what
is done over ?Mainstreaming Gender & Mobility?. This survey must be
achieved by end of February 2002.
Therefore we are very interested in:
- research and surveys carried out on that subject (university thesis,
symposium, ?)
- good practices (on the scale of a city or on the initiative of any
organisation)
- political programmes (statistics, media campaigns, ?)
- media supports and educational tools (internet, posters, videos,
cd-rom)
Do you have specific documents in this field ?
Could you help us in contacts and sources of information?
Please pass also this information within your network with the hope
that some others organisations will get an interest from this.
All documents and recommendations will be presented on a web site and
a cd-rom which will be available from March 2002. These tools will be
used in order to make civil agents sensitive to the integration of the
gender dimension in any project of city designing and particularly in
any transport policy.
Key words: gender issues ? mobility ? transport ? city ? women point
of vue ? children ? elderly people ? urban safety ? alternative
transport ? time management
Considering the short term of this survey we would be very grateful if
you could reply as soon as possible.
Best regards and thanks a lot in advance for uour contribution.
Roland Mayerl
Project Manager
---------------------
In 1995 City & Shelter coordinated a project supported by the European
Commission that allowed the publishing of ?European Charter for Women
in the City? (which is available in 12 languages:
Fr-En-De-It-Pt-Es-Nl-Sf-Chinese-Turkish-Arab-Russian). Details on our
web site www.cityshelter.org. We also made a cd-rom entitled ?City,
Citizenship and Gender? supported by Unesco in 97.
Other fields of interest: www.europrofem.org www.eurowrc.org
From frwro at mahidol.ac.th Mon Jan 7 11:04:08 2002
From: frwro at mahidol.ac.th (William Ross)
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 09:04:08 +0700
Subject: [sustran] Christmas / New Year road deaths
Message-ID: <003701c1971f$98a7d200$77020e0a@mahidol.ac.th>
Dear Sustran friends
Every year the Christmas and New Year cheer is dampened for many by death and injuries caused in road crashes. This year, in Thailand (population 62 million), in spite of a police crackdown and education program leading up to Christmas, one newspaper editorial called it 'Carnage on the holiday roads'.
In the 7 days between 27 December and 2 January, 34,095 people were injured in road crashes (33,214 suffered injuries from other causes), and 653 lives were lost (an additional 265 lives were lost from other causes). These figures are from 'The Nation', 4 January). In Bangkok alone (pop between 6 and 10 million), 104 traffic deaths occurred.
The only breakdown I have is that '80% of fatalities were caused by motorcycle accidents', and 'the majority of the dead were motorcycle riders'. While some of the 'blame' can be put on this group of dare devils who speed, weave in and out, and often don't wear safety helmets, it also raises many questions of social equity and justice, the lack of alternative transport modes, and the way roads are built (long, wide and straight, with few intersections).
This is not the only time of year when traffic deaths are high. Last year in April (4 day long weekend for Thai new year), around 350 people were killed in 4 days.
In Thailand, over 17,000 people are killed in road accidents every year. Some say 'life (meaning death) is cheap here': but the National Economic and Social Development Board says that each accidental death costs the Thai economy Bt4.7 million (over US$110,000). The social costs of losing loved ones under such circumstances can't be measured.
In Thailand, there is an obvious lack of respect for obeying traffic laws (speeding and driving drunk are very common) and a lack of enforcement by the police. Recently a young, drunk, pop star driving a big and powerful car, killed 3 people at an intersection in Bangkok. He offered the families of those killed an amount of sorry-money, and to my knowledge hasn't been prosecuted. This practice is not uncommon here.
You can write, fax or email your thoughts to the Nation or Bangkok Post. Both print letters to the editor which have been sent via the internet.
The Nation Newspaper
44 Moo 10 Bang Na-Trat KM 4.5, Bang Na district, Bangkok 10260 Thailand
Tel 66-2-325-5555, 66-2-317-0420 and 66-2-316-5900 ;
Fax 66-2-317-2071
Web address http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Email: info@nationmultimedia.com
The Bangkok Post
Post Publishing Public Company Limited
Bangkok Post Building
136 Na Ranong Road
Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
Thailand
Tel: (662) 240-3700
Fax: (662) 240-3666
Web address http://www.bangkokpost.com/
Email: postbag@bangkokpost.net
Best regards
William Ross
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dr William Ross
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies
Mahidol University
Salaya Phuttamonthon
Nakhonpathom 73170
Thailand
Tel: 02 441 0211-0216 ext 232
Fax: 02 441 9509-9510
Email: frwro@mahidol.ac.th
International
Tel: (+662) 441 0211-0216 ext 232
Fax: (+662) 441 9509-9510
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From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Wed Jan 9 11:57:28 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 10:57:28 +0800
Subject: [sustran] Fwd: Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule during
SAARC s ummit
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51344@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
An interesting item seen in
Clean Energy NEWS
Vol. 2, Number 6, January 8, 2002
...
Even/Odd Rule: A Discriminating Transportation Policy
During the recent SAARC Summit, held in Kathmandu, the government introduced
the even/odd system, where vehicles with even number plates are allowed to
enter the city on even numbered days and odd numbered vehicles in odd days,
to control the number of vehicles within Ring Road. Although similar systems
have been successfully introduced in many other cities where congestion is a
problem, the one in Kathmandu was different in that only public vehicles had
to follow this new rule while private vehicles were free to enter the city
whenever they wanted. Usually it is the other way around. Restricting the
access of private vehicles encourages the use of public transportation and
thus reducing congestion and pollution while ensuring that people have
access to affordable transportation services. In Kathmandu, however, the
system caused a lot of inconvenience to people who have to depend on public
transportation services.
A recent study conducted by the Kathmandu Valley Mapping Prorgramme of
Kathmandu Metropolitan City, estimated that public transport vehicles
accounted for only about 17.5 percent of the total vehicle kilometer
performance on the urban road network in Kathmandu but they carried 60
percent of all passengers. This indicates that the new policy reduced the
congestion by only about 17.5 percent while causing inconvenience to 60
percent of the commuters.
The Coalition for Clean Environment (CCE), a network of 12 environment
groups, has lodged a letter of protest in DoTM and Traffic Police Office
against the new system, which discriminates against public transportation.
Initially the government had announced that the new even/odd rule would be
applicable to all vehicles. This is logical, but later private vehicles were
spared from the rule probably to satisfy the rich and powerful sections of
our society. Even the environmentally friendly vehicles like Safa Tempos
have been restricted to ply on the occasion of SAARC Summit. CCE strongly
feels that this is discriminatory rule and should not be continued in its
present form.
The Department of Transport Management is studying the possibility of having
the even/odd system in Kathmandu permanently even after the SAARC summit.
...
Edited by Bhushan Tuladhar, Anil K. Raut, and Bimal Aryal
Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) and Martin Chautari (MC) are independent,
not-for-profit organizations working in the field of Energy and Environment.
CEN: 254 Sahayog Marg, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 8846, Tel: 977-1-242381 E-mail: cen@mos.com.np
MC: Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 13470, Tel: 977-1-256239 Fax: 977-1-240059 E-mail:
chautari@mos.com.np
From APHOWES at dm.gov.ae Wed Jan 9 12:47:50 2002
From: APHOWES at dm.gov.ae (Alan Patrick Howes)
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 07:47:50 +0400
Subject: [sustran] Re: Fwd: Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule
during SAARC s ummit
Message-ID:
Absolutely amazing. I'd be interested to hear further background on this.
--
Alan P Howes, Special Transport Advisor,
Dubai Municipality Public Transport Department
aphowes@dm.gov.ae
Tel: +971 4 286 1616 ext 214
Mobile: +971 50 5989661
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Barter [mailto:geobpa@nus.edu.sg]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 6:57 AM
To: 'sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org'
Subject: [sustran] Fwd: Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule during
SAARC s ummit
An interesting item seen in
Clean Energy NEWS
Vol. 2, Number 6, January 8, 2002
...
Even/Odd Rule: A Discriminating Transportation Policy
During the recent SAARC Summit, held in Kathmandu, the government introduced
the even/odd system, where vehicles with even number plates are allowed to
enter the city on even numbered days and odd numbered vehicles in odd days,
to control the number of vehicles within Ring Road. Although similar systems
have been successfully introduced in many other cities where congestion is a
problem, the one in Kathmandu was different in that only public vehicles had
to follow this new rule while private vehicles were free to enter the city
whenever they wanted. Usually it is the other way around. Restricting the
access of private vehicles encourages the use of public transportation and
thus reducing congestion and pollution while ensuring that people have
access to affordable transportation services. In Kathmandu, however, the
system caused a lot of inconvenience to people who have to depend on public
transportation services.
A recent study conducted by the Kathmandu Valley Mapping Prorgramme of
Kathmandu Metropolitan City, estimated that public transport vehicles
accounted for only about 17.5 percent of the total vehicle kilometer
performance on the urban road network in Kathmandu but they carried 60
percent of all passengers. This indicates that the new policy reduced the
congestion by only about 17.5 percent while causing inconvenience to 60
percent of the commuters.
The Coalition for Clean Environment (CCE), a network of 12 environment
groups, has lodged a letter of protest in DoTM and Traffic Police Office
against the new system, which discriminates against public transportation.
Initially the government had announced that the new even/odd rule would be
applicable to all vehicles. This is logical, but later private vehicles were
spared from the rule probably to satisfy the rich and powerful sections of
our society. Even the environmentally friendly vehicles like Safa Tempos
have been restricted to ply on the occasion of SAARC Summit. CCE strongly
feels that this is discriminatory rule and should not be continued in its
present form.
The Department of Transport Management is studying the possibility of having
the even/odd system in Kathmandu permanently even after the SAARC summit.
...
Edited by Bhushan Tuladhar, Anil K. Raut, and Bimal Aryal
Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) and Martin Chautari (MC) are independent,
not-for-profit organizations working in the field of Energy and Environment.
CEN: 254 Sahayog Marg, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 8846, Tel: 977-1-242381 E-mail: cen@mos.com.np
MC: Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 13470, Tel: 977-1-256239 Fax: 977-1-240059 E-mail:
chautari@mos.com.np
From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Wed Jan 9 17:28:13 2002
From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (Eric Britton)
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 09:28:13 +0100
Subject: [sustran] The 2002 Taliban World Environment Prize Competition
In-Reply-To:
Message-ID: <002901c198e7$94e97640$6501a8c0@home>
Re: Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule during SAARC?s summit
(oringal annoucment follows below)
Ladies, Gentlemen, Others,
Might we not at Sustran, World Transport and our many extensions not get
together and see if we can cobble together and offer the authors of this
fabulous piece of legislation some high profile international booby
prize? Let's see, what might we call it? The 2002 Taliban World
Environment Prize? (Also known perhaps as the LLEA - ?Last Laugh
Environment Award??)
Okay, there may be something slightly wrong with that title and I am
sure that you all can do better. But the only way that I can think of
to bring the necessary pressure on this world level sad dumbness --
would be to see if we can laugh them out of it.
Then if it actually works we might even think about institutionalizing
it? We could even present it as an instrument of socio-technical change
to the Johannesburg Summit in September. (And if it actually works,
someone might even nominate it for one of the true international awards
for accomplishment at the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities
? www.partnerships.stockholm.se/.)
Could we network this?
Refreshingly yours,
Eric Britton
PS. And your nominations for the 2002 Stockholm Partnerships Awards?
Chair of the Stockholm Partnerships Jury
www.partnerships.stockholm.se/
The Commons __ technology, economy, society__
Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France
Day phone: +331 4326 1323 Mobile: +336 8096 7879
24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +1 888 677-4866
http://ecoplan.org/ IP Videoconference: 193.251.38.219
Email: ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr URL
www.ecoplan.org
= = = = =
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Barter [mailto:geobpa@nus.edu.sg]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 6:57 AM
To: 'sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org'
Subject: [sustran] Fwd: Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule
during SAARC summit
An interesting item seen in
Clean Energy NEWS
Vol. 2, Number 6, January 8, 2002
...
Even/Odd Rule: A Discriminating Transportation Policy
During the recent SAARC Summit, held in Kathmandu, the government
introduced the even/odd system, where vehicles with even number plates
are allowed to enter the city on even numbered days and odd numbered
vehicles in odd days, to control the number of vehicles within Ring
Road. Although similar systems have been successfully introduced in many
other cities where congestion is a problem, the one in Kathmandu was
different in that only public vehicles had to follow this new rule while
private vehicles were free to enter the city whenever they wanted.
Usually it is the other way around. Restricting the access of private
vehicles encourages the use of public transportation and thus reducing
congestion and pollution while ensuring that people have access to
affordable transportation services. In Kathmandu, however, the system
caused a lot of inconvenience to people who have to depend on public
transportation services.
A recent study conducted by the Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme of
Kathmandu Metropolitan City, estimated that public transport vehicles
accounted for only about 17.5 percent of the total vehicle kilometer
performance on the urban road network in Kathmandu but they carried 60
percent of all passengers. This indicates that the new policy reduced
the congestion by only about 17.5 percent while causing inconvenience to
60 percent of the commuters.
The Coalition for Clean Environment (CCE), a network of 12 environment
groups, has lodged a letter of protest in DoTM and Traffic Police Office
against the new system, which discriminates against public
transportation. Initially the government had announced that the new
even/odd rule would be applicable to all vehicles. This is logical, but
later private vehicles were spared from the rule probably to satisfy the
rich and powerful sections of our society. Even the environmentally
friendly vehicles like Safa Tempos have been restricted to ply on the
occasion of SAARC Summit. CCE strongly feels that this is discriminatory
rule and should not be continued in its present form.
The Department of Transport Management is studying the possibility of
having the even/odd system in Kathmandu permanently even after the SAARC
summit. ...
Edited by Bhushan Tuladhar, Anil K. Raut, and Bimal Aryal
Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) and Martin Chautari (MC) are independent,
not-for-profit organizations working in the field of Energy and
Environment.
CEN: 254 Sahayog Marg, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 8846, Tel: 977-1-242381 E-mail: cen@mos.com.np
MC: Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 13470, Tel: 977-1-256239 Fax: 977-1-240059 E-mail:
chautari@mos.com.np
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From rajendra.aryal at undp.org Wed Jan 9 17:55:10 2002
From: rajendra.aryal at undp.org (Rajendra Aryal)
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 14:25:10 +0530
Subject: [sustran] Kathmandu anti-public transport even-odd rule during
=?iso-8859-1?Q?SAARC=92s?= summit
References: <002901c198e7$94e97640$6501a8c0@home>
Message-ID: <3C3C056D.27E9B930@undp.org>
Dear friends,
Here is some more news from Kathmandu. This is a newsclip from today's
The Kathmandu Post.
Rajendra Aryal
Programme Officer
UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Odd, even number plates rule rejected
KATHMANDU, Jan 9 - The Department of Transport Management has rejected a
proposal of the Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO) about the
continuation of odd and even number plates rule introduced during the
SAARC Summit.
The VTPO was considering to give continuation to the system even after
the conclusion of SAARC Summit but the proposed move was overruled by
the Department of the Transport Management, said an official at VTPO.
?We were planning to continue the system as we were much elated by the
public responses and even by the drivers. Moreover, the odd and even
number plates rule kept about half the vehicles off the streets in the
capital during the 11th SAARC Summit,? he adds.
Buddhi Shahi, a taxi driver, said that the rule does not affect our
business. In fact, we are earning more these days. But it was the
commuters who suffered a lot due to fewer vehicles plying on the streets
last week.
Meanwhile, VTPO officials said that all the public vehicles which were
following the odd and even number plates arrangements will ply on the
road beginning Wednesday.
Original message from:
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kol_news.html#Odd, even number plates rule
rejected
From townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au Thu Jan 10 11:50:51 2002
From: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au (Craig Townsend)
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:50:51 +0800
Subject: [sustran] news item: fuel cell in USA
Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.0.20020110104240.009fce10@central.murdoch.edu.au>
From the Vancouver Sun online edition, Wednesday, January 09, 2002
Full article available at
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/story.asp?id={FA2891C8-E7F5-494D-BAAB-48B4ADC82ABA}
Ballard rises on U.S. fuel-cell plan: Energy department will focus on
hydrogen-powered technology for autos
Stock at Burnaby-based Ballard Power Systems jumped 14 per cent Tuesday
after the U.S. energy department announced it would focus on developing
hydrogen-powered fuel cells for the automobile industry.
......
The announcement is a recognition from the U.S. government of the growing
importance of fuel cells, Ballard vice-president Paul Lancaster said.
"U.S. energy security has always been a large issue for them and it's even
more so after the recent world events," he said Tuesday. "This is a
definite help in accelerating developing fuel cells infrastructure."
.....
Ballard expects to be manufacturing 300,000 fuel cells annually for
automobile engines by 2005.
U.S. energy department officials said they plan to spend more money on
developing hydrogen-powered fuel cells because the technology is needed to
reduce dependence on foreign oil. About 55 per cent of the oil the U.S.
consumes is from other countries.
"The use of hydrogen -- if realized -- offers the possibility of completely
clean energy," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in October. He'll
provide details of the program today at the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit.
Abraham said in April he planned to change the program begun by the Clinton
administration. The Partnership for a New Generation Vehicle is a
collaboration among federal agencies, Ford, General Motors and
DaimlerChrysler to develop a car with triple the fuel efficiency of a 1994
model by 2004.
A U.S. National Academy of Sciences report in August agreed the program
should be re-examined, saying "no reasonable amount of funding" would
result in the production of a marketable, affordable 80-mpg sedan by 2004.
David Doniger of the U.S. Natural Resources Defence Council said he and
other environmentalists support hydrogen fuel cells because they are
cleaner than conventional energy sources.
The cost of fuel cells currently is prohibitively high for commercial use
though, with widespread applications still years away.
Any effort to focus government and industry efforts on hydrogen
technologies should include production commitments from automakers, Doniger
said.
Auto makers already are spending billions of dollars to develop fuel cells
as a cleaner alternative to internal-combustion engines to meet tougher
pollution rules. For example, General Motors, the largest auto maker, is
sharing research with ChevronTexaco Corp. on how to use gasoline as a
source of hydrogen for powering fuel cells.
The auto industry is looking for government assurances that infrastructure
-- possibly hydrogen filling stations -- will be available to serve the
vehicles they're developing.
........
________________________________________________
Craig Townsend
Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy
Murdoch University
South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150
tel: (61 8) 9360 6278
fax: (61 8) 9360 6421
email: townsend@central.murdoch.edu.au
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From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Thu Jan 17 11:28:34 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 10:28:34 +0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: Transport and Sustainable Livelihoods
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51761@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
An interesting document from IFRTD. To scroll through the document that
Priyanthi is highlighting click on "next" at the bottom of each page.
-----Original Message-----
From: To promote discussion, research and exchange of information into rural
tran [mailto:RURAL-TRANSPORT-DEVELOPMENT@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of
Priyanthi Fernando
Sent: Thursday, 17 January 2002 3:38 AM
To: RURAL-TRANSPORT-DEVELOPMENT@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: Transport and Sustainable Livelihoods
Dear colleagues
You may like to look at the following and provide some feedback or begin a
discussion.
http://livelihoodtechnology.org/home.asp?id=traintro1
Best wishes
Priyanthi
PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES:
priyanthi.fernando@ifrtd.org
priyanthi@ifrtd.org
OR
ifrtd@ifrtd.org
ifrtd@gn.apc.org
____________________________________________________________________
Priyanthi Fernando
Executive Secretary
International Forum for Rural Transport and Development
2 Spitfire Studios
63-71 Collier Street
London N1 9BE
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7713 6699
Fax: +44 (0)20 7713 8290
Web page:www.ifrtd.org
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Fri Jan 18 09:44:53 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 08:44:53 +0800
Subject: [sustran] Fwd: indonesian fuel price rise
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED517EE@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
Some excerpts from
Straits Times interactive
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/story/0,1870,97245,00.html?
JAN 18, 2002
Indonesians surprised by fuel-price hike
Many woke up yesterday to increases averaging 22% as govt tries to toe IMF
demands to end hefty subsidies
By Robert Go
STRAITS TIMES INDONESIA BUREAU
JAKARTA - They knew it was coming, but many Indonesians were caught
off-guard by the timing of the government's fuel price-hike announcement
late on Wednesday night.
...
The move complies with demands from the International Monetary Fund and
other international lenders, who have long maintained that the hefty
subsidies benefit the middle class and the rich, and not the poor.
Parliament had already given the green light for price increases of up to 30
per cent this year.
Police were bracing themselves for mass protests in key cities, including
Jakarta, Surabaya and Yogyakarta, and in Bali, but the reaction yesterday
was muted.
A number of student and labour groups threatened to demonstrate if the
increase was implemented. But perhaps caught out by the timing, only a few
small groups turned out in parts of Jakarta and elsewhere to voice their
anger.
Universiti Kristen Indonesia students burnt old tyres outside their Central
Jakarta campus, as did counterparts at the Universitas Muhammadiyah
Makassar. There were also reports of protests in Surabaya, but these and
other gatherings were peaceful.
At least 15,000 officers had been mobilised in the capital and were posted
at petrol stations and several strategic locations, including Parliament and
the presidential palace.
Under the new price structure, Indonesia will peg automotive diesel,
industrial diesel, kerosene for industrial use and fuel oil at 75 per cent
of international market prices.
Premium petrol prices will match international prices, while kerosene for
public consumption - crucial to poor Indonesians for their lighting and
cooking needs - will be sold at 600 rupiah (11 Singapore cents ) per litre.
Prices, except for kerosene, will also be allowed to fluctuate monthly,
beginning in March, according to inter- national pricing.
Analysts here said it would be important to see how Ms Megawati's team now
intends to keep the lid on the prices of sembako items - the nine staples
considered crucial to daily life: rice, sugar, cooking oil, corn, flour,
meat, milk, salt and eggs. Prices for some of these commodities, rice in
particular, rose steadily after the government indicated a fuel hike was in
the offing. The last increase was in June last year.
...
Copyright @ 2001 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.
Forwarded here for the purposes of education and research.
From kpbb at dnet.net.id Fri Jan 18 13:02:23 2002
From: kpbb at dnet.net.id (kpbb)
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 11:02:23 +0700
Subject: [sustran] Re: Fwd: indonesian fuel price rise
References: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED517EE@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
Message-ID: <000a01c19fd7$b84502c0$0100a8c0@kpbb>
The problem is fuels quality. Indonesia government had established fuel
price hike in the frame to achieve international price without care with
fuel quality. Gasoline demand more than 12 million KL per year is still
supplied by leaded gasoline (more 75%) and olefine content more than 35%.
Sulfur content at diesel fuel (0.5%) is too high.
Puput
From jbs at u.washington.edu Sun Jan 20 13:51:05 2002
From: jbs at u.washington.edu (Jerry Schneider)
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 20:51:05 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [sustran] ULTra PRT demonstration project launched
In-Reply-To:
Message-ID:
On January 17, the ULTra Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system demonstration
announced in Cardiff, Wales. Press accounts can be seen at:
http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/ULTranews.htm ULTra is a
4-passenger electric vehicle that is powered by batteries and is guided
automatically on an exclusive guideway. Other PRT activities around the
world can be seen at http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/prtquick.htm
- Jerry Schneider, Prof. Emeritus
- Innovative Transportation Technologies website:
http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans
From kisansbc at vsnl.com Sun Jan 20 11:52:52 2002
From: kisansbc at vsnl.com (kisan mehta)
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2002 08:22:52 +0530
Subject: [sustran] Re: netra update
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020119225346.02b202e0@202.54.10.1>
Message-ID: <003001c1a15d$8e2f9cc0$3226020a@im.eth.net>
Dear Sujit, Sustran colleagues,
Thanks for forwarding a copy of your mail to Nikhil
Anand. Pardon my ignorance of Nikhil and the Netra,
though I claim to be a Mumbaikar since my birth.
>From what has been recorded in his despatch, I
could observe that it is a group of NGOs who do
not base their approach on the ground reality.
The BEST at present suffers heavy losses which is crosssubsidised by profits in electicity supply in the
Island City. Yet the Govt extracts about 15% part
of every bus ticket and the BMC charges an annual
fee which I have been comparing to the jijiyavera of
Aurangzeb and khandani (which our Indian Princes
paid to the British protectors from internal uprising)
Motorcars do not pay anything at all for use of roads. The
vestige of a charge in the form of wheel tax frozen
to the year 1937 level has also been withdrawn. Yet
motorists cry hoarse on bad roads. The BMC spends
about 300 crores annually (15% of BMC total budget) yet
BEST buses cannot move everywhere like private
cars.
MMRDA is building Truck Terminal at Wadala for a
period longer than Shahjehan took to build the Taj
at a totally unworkable site. If anybody expected
trucks to return to that Terminal after unloading and
wait for a call to enter the crowded Mohamedali-
Chakla area, he must be totally ignorant of the
working of truck transport economics.
Over 1200 intercity buses come to Mumbai a day.
They go into Mumbai's deepest parts to dock and
clean up before starting off on return journey
clogging movment of people. The State Transport
buses dock in the most congested areas. What do
we want to do for this malady?
MSRDC is building the JJ Hospital-Jyotiba Phule
Elevated Road. No group objected to this amphibion
coming up on Mumbai's most crowded road on which
about 23 bus routes ply. Before the road is completed,
parking is patronised by BMC, MSRDC and Police.
We are getting convinced that the elevated road is
being constructed to create 500 car parking spaces
where parking was prohibited for at least 40 years.
Skybuses do not come for free. One or two routes
cannot make a dent on Mumbai's traffic woes yet our
friends, who do not worry about mounting public debt,
promote the sure solution for Mumbai's traffic snarls.
Our NGOs do not worry about the worsening air quality
brought about by galloping increase in cars. As long as
car parking is allowed on pavements and partof road, we
feel well looked after.
The MUTP, likely to cost Rs 60 billion is now being
considered by the World Bank. It is not worried
about high emission levels. Every Mumbaiwalla
should have a minimum dose of 600 gms of air
pollutants (to keep healthy?).
Motorists do not pay any tax for congestion and
pollution. They do not pay anything for using flyovers
(costing 16 to 20 billion cost kept top secret) but
flyovers have increased car movement and parking
resulting in slowing down Buses. The BEST General
Manager is cutting down many routes on the excuse
of continuing loss. We talk of air conditioned buses
at that time and do not come out to support people's
transport.
This is our approach. I can continue writing but am
stopping now in the fear that you may delete the entire
piece having been fully tired out. Best wishes.
Kisan Mehta kisansbc@vsnl.com
Priya Salvi priya_salvi@yahoo.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Sujit Patwardhan
To: nikhil anand
Cc: Kisan Mehta
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2002 11:27 PM
Subject: Re: netra udate
19 January 2002
Nikhil,
I was a little surprised to read about the inclusion of the Skybus Metro in your list of desirables. From the presentation in Pune was clear that they didn't even have a prototype on the ground. The presentation only had computer 3D images of the Skubus and unsubstantiated claims that the Skybus is "almost" as cheap as a bus. This is impossible as expensive infrastructure is needed for putting up the supports and rails and the suspended wagons. How can it then still be as cheap as a bus? Do they mean only the running costs? What about the capital costs? Even for some limited routes only (mostly radiating outward from the Pune city) the costs mentioned were Rs. 2,500 crores to Rs. 3,500 crores. Are these included in the figure they quote? These are important questions we have to ask.
We should not be taken in by promises given by the promoters who as in the case of the Mumbai Pune Expressway exaggerate the benefits while playing down the costs. It is only after the project is completed that these begin to surface by which time it is too late to do anything.
My gut feeling (as I haven't studied Mumbai's traffic plans) is that the top priority needs to be given to creating dedicated lanes for BEST buses as in Curitiba, to have more efficient and larger capacity buses running on CNG or electric trolly buses. To give them space to move private vehicles (mostly cars) need to be restrained, not through one time taxes alone, but through a package of rules ranging from step by step enlargement of NO Parking Areas, charging higher parking fees, creating Carfree areas, creating bus priority lanes and other measures that will discourage people bringing their cars on the roads specially in the business districts (I would be in favour of banning cars from the entire Fort area and substitute them with electric shuttle buses. People would be able to move around comfortably if there are adequate buses of this kind. Taxis and bicycles can also be allowed but no private vehicles. Pollution and road congestion will disappear from the Fort area, people will be able to walk and shop without having to look over their shoulders. On the periphery of the No Car Zone special multistory parking lots can be erected. This is not utopian thinking but can be a reality.
Please see the site www.carfree.com/ for many examples of Carfree cities.
So before you support the Skybus I think you should get all the facts and figures and have them checked out by someone capable and independent of the promoters of the project.
With good wishes,
--
Sujit
At 10:51 AM 1/19/02 +0530, you wrote:
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word">
dear sujit
just a little update re netra
i have been considerably less involved. seeds is taking up much of my time and its difficult to work netra in as well
but we had a meeting with suresh kumar and he was very receptive to the following 10 points we collaboratively put together
then a couple of weeks ago, a delegation met the CSecy and he assigned tasks to the different officers present there and now we expect to have a follow up meeting at the end of the month
sorry for the excessive brevity
just a quick email update this is
more when i come to pune!
nikhil
NETRA is a network of organizations, associations and citizens that has been formed in response to the growing traffic and its affiliated problems faced by Mumbai City. We see ourselves as an instrument for coordination and not an organization. Some of the constituent members of NETRA are: Bombay Environmental Action Group, CLEAN-Air, NAGAR, Critical Mass and CitiSpace.
Our mission is to network and campaign for the formulation and implementation of an Integrated Transport Policy, and the setting up of a Unified Transport Authority for the MMR, particularly focusing on the need to upgrade and prioritise sustainable transport and mass transport systems. To this end we have highlighted the following areas of focus:
A. Urgent implementation of Mass Urban Transport Project (MUTP) II emphasizing public transportation services.
These are to include road and rail components; specifically, a creation of a special bus lane; increasing the number of AC buses; and a special emphasis on the introduction of 1 AC coach on all fast trains.
B. Introducing the Skybus metro project.
We feel this is an efficient, economical, non-polluting and comfortable mode of public transport. An added advantage is that it does not take up additional road space.
C. Stringent enforcement of parking and traffic violations.
Our parking concerns relate to double and triple-parked cars and those cars that are parked at intersections. With regard to traffic violations, our concerns are cars that wait on the zebra crossing for the signal to change; cars that edge into the intersection in preparation for the light to change; and cars that make turns from the wrong lane.
D. Compulsory off road parking for vehicles.
We would like to see restriction of parking on arterial roads and major through fares.
E. Increasing parking charges to commercial rates.
We believe that increasing parking charges it will act as a deterrent to the use of private transport. These parking charges should be commensurate with commercial rates at specific locations and times. Also the costs of parking infrastructure development should be borne by the car user.
F. Completion of Truck/Bus Terminus at Wadala.
We suggest mandatory idle parking of all trucks and buses to be banned in the city, which will free the road space for vehicular traffic.
G. Restoring pedestrian pavements; making them accessible for the aged and handicapped.
Pavements should be returned to the pedestrians. We wish to remove illegal (hawkers) and legal (police chowkies) encroachments. Pavements should not arbitrarily be narrowed or dispensed with for road widening as this implies that the pedestrian does not have right to use the road. We further encourage the use of escalators/elevators at subways and overbridges to make them accessible to the aged and the handicapped. Further, we advocate the creation of pedestrian (car free) plazas such as at Horniman Circle, to encourage the use of the roads by pedestrians.
H. Installation of proper road signage and markings.
Absence of appropriate road markings results in indisciplined driving which results in traffic slowing down and creates the potential for accidents. Furthermore, appropriate road signage and markings will increase the discharge capacity of roads.
I. Restricted entry of cars in Greater Mumbai and implementation of cordon pricing during peak traffic hours.
Restricting the number cars entering the city should be accomplished through traffic restraint schemes; fiscal or policy measures, and through cordon pricing during peak traffic hours.
J. An integrated Mumbai Transportation Authority to manage public transportation.
We understand that this idea has been proposed by several governmental bodies and that is has been placed on the backbench for some time now. We strongly recommend that this project be resurrected and implemented.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sujit Patwardhan.
PARISAR,
Yamuna, ICS Colony, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411 007
Tel: 5537955
Email: sujit@vsnl.com
*****************************************************************
In nature there are neither Rewards nor Punishments---
there are Consequences.
*****************************************************************
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From debi at beag.net Mon Jan 21 12:57:54 2002
From: debi at beag.net (Debi Goenka)
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 09:27:54 +0530
Subject: [sustran] NeTrA update
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020119225346.02b202e0@202.54.10.1>
<003001c1a15d$8e2f9cc0$3226020a@im.eth.net>
Message-ID: <006a01c1a22f$cfa8e6c0$d96510ac@powersurfer.net>
This is in response to the rather lively discussion going on re NeTrA, Skybus et al between Nikhil, Sujit and Kisan. Time to add my two bits!
First of all, NeTrA (Networking for Transportation Alternatives) is a coalition of NGOs formed in Mumbai to address problems of commuters and transportation issues. It was formed as a result of a public meeting in which more than 30 groups participated, and all these groups, and others as well who were really interested in addressing the issues, were invited to participate in NeTrA.
As a beginning, NeTrA identified the 10 issues listed by Nikhil in the mail sent to Sujit, as the ten priority issues for addressing the transport problems in the city. The suggestions made by Sujit are in fact part of the NeTrA agenda (except for electric trolley buses!).
The note that Nikhil had circulated is an abbrieviated version of the note that was finally sent to the State Government - we should be in a position to circulate our more detailed note to any one who wants a copy within a few days.
We have had an extremely great start, in the sense that ALL these issues have been accepted by the bureeaucrats and police as priority issues, and an action plan is being chalked out for their implementation. Kisan Mehta may find that almost all the issues that he has listed in his mail are there on the NeTrA agenda as well!
Some of the points raised by Sujit re the Skybus are points to which I had responded to in my earlier mails, but the bottom line is that this is a new technology, and even to build a working prototype, money is required. The capital costs for this project are mentioned at around Rs.400 million per kilometre (1 US $ = Rs.46 currently), and the commuter is being offered the option of travelling at an average speed of 40 kmph at a cost of one half of a rupee per kilometre. Full details of this project are available at the Konkan railway website
http://communities.msn.com/SkyBusMetrosolution
As against this, I understand that the MRT in Delhi is being built at a cost of about Rs.2000 million per km.
Please note that the stand taken by NeTrA is that this project is being supported because this project is an environmentally friendly mass transportation system with minimal environmental repercussions. NeTrA does not claim to have the technical ability to evaluate this project, though I understand the project proponents have managed to answer all the queries that have been raised. Also, no one has yet told us why this project will not work!
I understand that the Konkan Railway is going ahead with implementing this project at Baghdad and Cochin, where their bids have been approved.
Cheers
Debi
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From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Mon Jan 21 19:46:09 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 18:46:09 +0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL re Expressway in Karachi
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51914@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
From: URC [mailto:urckhi@hinet.net.pk]
Sent: Monday, 21 January 2002 4:51 PM
To: ...
Subject: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL
EVICTION ALERT APPEAL FROM
POOR COMMUNITIES OF LYARI NADI (river)
IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN.
The government is under taking largest bulldozing operation ever taken
place in the history of Karachi city.
In this operation over 25000 housing units will be bulldozed. The
communities have been given three days notices to vacate their houses. After
completing this dead line the government has started bulldozing operation
today on Manday 21 January 2002. The entire area is surrounded by the police
and para military forces.
The communities feel the government has betrayed them by false promises of
decent resettlement (relocation) before bulldozing their houses, which they
built over years through their life savings.
Presently government has announced a compensation of Rs.50000/= and a small
plot (land) to each family at city fringes.
The present settlements are located at city centre and having a property
value of Rs.500,000/= (minimum) per family.
It is a very brutal way of displacing poor families at the midst of harsh
cold weather.
According to the government survey this drive will displace 11964 housing
units, 42 Religious Places (Mosques, Churches, Menders), 1035
Shops/Workshops/ Factories.
But community surveys contradict with government's figures and they fears
the actual displacement will be three times higher than the government
estimates.
These evictions are being taking place to build Lyari Expressway on both
banks of Lyari River.
Most urban planners, NGOs and CBOs firmly believe the city does not need
this Expressway. According to them the Northern Bypass is much better option
for the city. (Note Work on Northern Bypass is already begun). For more
details please click on www.urckarachi.org.
We appeal all individuals and organizations please directly send fax
appeals (sample given below) to the president of Pakistan and CC to
authorities responsible/concerns for this action (mentioned in sample
letter).
We hope you will act on this appeal immediately. This will provide strength
to the community leaders engage in negotiations with the city government.
In fact we have lost a major battle but your support will still change
everything.
See sample letter below.
Regards,
Muhammad Younus
URC, Karachi
21/01/2002
Sample letter
To,
General Pervez Muharraf
President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
Islamabad, Pakistan
21 January 02
Fax numbers: 92 51 9207656 and 92 51 9270205
Subject: Stop forced eviction of Lyari Nadi Communities in Karachi
Your Excellency,
Our organization has been informed that Pakistan government and Karachi City
government are undertaking massive bulldozing operation of poor people in
Lyari Nadi (River) in Karachi. We have come to know from reliable sources
that the city government has started a bulldozing operation in Karachi on
Monday 21st January 2002. They have bulldozed a large number of community
establishments and will bulldoze 25000 more houses in coming days. This
operation will continue until 30 January 2002 and thousands of houses would
be bulldozed in 46 low income settlements along both sides of Lyari River.
This operation will leave thousands of families homeless and at the height
of winter, to harsh and cold weather, rendering many children, elderly and
the infirm vulnerable to sickness. This operation will destroy assets worth
millions Rupees of very poor people, and the city government has no plans to
compensate these families or offer them alternative living places. Presently
it has announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 and a plot at city fringes,
which we believe is not a sufficient compensation at any local or
international standards. Many of these communities have lived there for well
over forty years, and have invested time and resources in acquiring basic
amenities like water, electricity, etc.
You are of course aware, that this is a cruel and inhuman act aimed at
people for no reason other than that they are poor. You are aware that
forced evictions are considered gross violation of human rights, in
particular the right to adequate housing by the United Nations. Pakistan was
one of the first to sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which
ensures that every child, should have a decent place to live. By evicting
these families your government will be violating Article 6 (1) and (2);
Article 16 (1) and (2); Article 24 (1) and Article 27 (1) and (3).
Furthermore, the government of Pakistan has committed itself to the global
plan of action of Habitat II, in 1996, which recognizes the right to
adequate housing, condemns forced evictions and encourages a humane way of
dealing with poor squatter families.
We urge you to immediately stop the evictions, rehabilitate those that have
already been evicted and to engage the community, the Sindh Katchi Abadi
Authority and other NGOs to a dialogue on how this problem could be
resolved. We hope your government will protect the weak and vulnerable.
Respectfully yours,
Signatures
Your Name
Your Organization
CC:
1. Main Muhammad Soomro, Governor of Sindh Fax No. + 92 21 920 5041 or 92 21
920 1215, 92 21 9201226
2. Advocate Namatullah Khan, City Nazim Fax: + 92 21 9215117 or 92 21
9215131
3. Tansneem Ahmad Siddiqui, Director General Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority
Fax No. + 92 21 9211272
4. Ovis Ghani, Federal Minister for local Bodies Katchi Abadis Fax 92 51
9224890
5. Muhammad Younus, Director Urban Resource Centre Fax No. 92 21 4384288
_____________________________
Urban Resource Centre
3/48 Mualimabad Jamal uddin Afghani Road off Khalid Bin Walid Road Karachi
74800 Pakistan
Tel 92 21 4559275 Fax 92 21 4384288
E-mail urckhi@hinet.net.pk
Web site www.urckarachi.org
and www.achr.net
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Tue Jan 22 16:20:24 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 15:20:24 +0800
Subject: [sustran] re: FW: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL re Expressway in Karachi
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51986@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
-----Original Message-----
From: URC [mailto:urckhi@hinet.net.pk]
Sent: Tuesday, 23 January 2001 2:00 PM
To: ...
Subject: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL
EVICTION ALERT APPEAL FROM
POOR COMMUNITIES OF LYARI NADI (river)
IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN.
Please correct fax no for Main Muhammad Soomro, Governor of Sindh Fax 92 21
920 1218
See below new stories on bulldozing operation
KARACHI: City govt suggests changes in design: Expressway clean-up begins
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 21: The city government has asked the federal government to
make changes in the design of Lyari Expressway to bring uniformity in its
width for smooth flow of heavy goods trucks and to save thousands of people
from being displaced.
Through a resolution adopted by the city government's Council on Monday, it
drew the attention of President Pervez Musharraf to the big differences in
the width of Lyari Expressway, saying it was surprising to note that its
width at the starting point at Shershah was 860 feet whereas at Sohrab Goth,
where the project ended, it was only 460 feet.
The Council meeting, presided over by Naib Nazim Tariq Hasan, demanded of
the president to direct the authorities concerned to keep the Expressway 40
feet wide all through its length, as by doing so the government would be
saving millions of rupees and thousands of homes and a school in Shershah
from demolition.
The Council hoped, through the resolution, that the government would
consider the request of the House keeping in view the pros and cons of the
highly ambitious project.
Karachi's biggest anti-encroachment drive was launched on Monday morning
when bulldozers and other heavy machinery came into action to clear the bed
of the Lyari river for the construction of an expressway linking the Karachi
Port, through Mauripur Road, with Super Highway via Sohrab Goth for heavy
traffic.
The Nazim Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, distributed on Monday cheques for
Rs50,000 and documents of plots of 80 square yards to those affected by the
Lyari Express way enlisted in a survey report.
The Nazim said compensations would be paid to the affected people the same
day to avoid trouble to them, adding that survey of the Lyari river had been
undertaken three times after which a list of 14,000 families living in the
area had been prepared.
Speaking to the affected people, he said alternative plots being given in
Baldia Town were more valuable than the ones on which they had been living
and assured them of providing all basic facilities.
The go-ahead signal for the much-delayed 16.5-km long Lyari Expressway,
project costing Rs5 billion, which had been conceived and designed in 1996,
was given by the president after seeking opinions of experts.
The operation began at 8:30am from Mauripur Road site and till afternoon
two-and-a-half km area was cleared of unauthorized structures comprising
mainly illegal cattle-pens, auto workshops and commercial ventures
established by brick makers.
Hundreds of residents witnessed the operation and there was no resistance.
The operation was so swift that within a few hours more than a two-km area
was cleared.
When this reporter visited the project site, he saw that some of the
occupants were busy in shifting their kutcha structures and material to
other places. However, many of them had already shifted their wooden
structures and material before the arrival of anti-encroachment staff.
The operation was supervised by the deputy district officer, Salman Faridi,
of the city government's revenue department with the active cooperation of
all anti-encroachment squads of the Karachi city's Towns, including the
Lyari Town.
It was fully backed by a heavy contingent of police drawn from all police
stations of the city. The operation was swift and peaceful and no untoward
incident occurred, said Abdul Malik Khan, deputy district officer (AE) of
the city government.
The illegal occupants had been in possession of a big area of land on the
river's banks and had been doing business for years without paying any
municipal or government taxes. Despite this, the federal government directed
the Sindh government for the rehabilitation of the affected people.
The project was revived by the present army government and its construction
work handed over to the National Highway Authority (NHA). More than 255
acres of land meant for the construction of the proposed Expressway would be
retrieved and handed over to the NHA.
CRITICIZED: Various NGOs criticized the government for demolishing
residential and commercial structures from Gulbai to Shershah for the
construction of Lyari Expressway and for displacing people in the cold
weather without serving prior notice on them.
In a joint statement, the Urban Resource Centre (URC), Idara Amn-o-Insaf,
Commission for Human Rights, Orangi Pilot Project, PILER, Orangi Welfare
Project, Ghaziabad Falahi Committee and United Welfare Association urged the
government to provide the affected families with alternative houses with all
basic facilities in keeping with the government's housing policy.
Director Mohammed Yunus and Social Organizer Zahid Farooq of the URC visited
the site on Monday, where people told them that they had been residing there
for the past several years with the cooperation of the government
departments and had small businesses to make their living. The affected
people urged the government to rehabilitate them on the land which would be
left in the Lyari Expressway project. They feared the leftover land of the
project would be given to the builders' mafia.
The NGOs suggested that the government build the Northern Bypass and shift
the chemical market and other businesses from Lyari and the Old city area to
the land along the Northern Bypass so that the affected families could get a
better place to live in.
(Dawn 22/01/02 Karachi)
--------------------
Lyari Expressway
Operation to remove encroachments
begins, construction may start in March
By our correspondent
KARACHI: The City Government, in cooperation with army, rangers and police,
on Monday started a major operation to remove the structures impeding the
Lyari Expressway. Sources said that on the first day of the operation 1,900
encroachments, spread over three-kilometre area of the Lyari Riverbed from
Mauripur to Mewa Shah Bridge, were removed. The encroachments included
cattle pens, restaurants, workshops, Bakrapeerhis, godowns, vehicle service
stations, edible oil factories and vendors etc, the sources said adding that
no resistance occurred during the day-long operation, as over 30 mobiles and
40 platoons of the law enforcers were present during the demolition process.
Teams of women police, Fire Brigade, Edhi, KESC, SSGC, Traffic Police were
also present.
Brig Ayaz Peer of Army Supporting Team supervised the operation while the
project director of the campaign Captain Nasir, EDO Revenue, Javaid Hanif,
senior deputy district officer, Salman Faridi, district officer Mirza Jawed
Baig, SSP South Abdul Majeed Dasti, SSP West Dr Tariq Khokhar and other
officials concerned were also present on the occasion.
The operation started at 9.00 am and continued till sunset, the sources said
adding that the National Highway Authority (NHA) which would carry out work
on Lyari Expressway after the completion of the anti-encroachment drive,
took over the pieces of land recovered on Monday. However, the NHA would
start levelling the land from Tuesday. The city government on the occasion
sealed the illegally constructed shops and mosques, demolition of which
would begin in the second phase of the operation.
Talking to The News, Zila Nazim City District Government Karachi Naimatullah
Khan said that 14,000 families and over 100,000 persons would be affected by
the cited operation, however, he said they would be given alternate plots
measuring 80 square yard each in Baldia, Surjani Town and Hawkesbay and a
cheque of Rs 50,000 to each affectee. He said he gave documents of the
alternate plots and cheques to 14 families who were affected on the first
day of the drive.
The EDO Revenue Javaid Hanif said that the camp in connection with the
anti-encroachment drive would be established near the industrial units,
impeding the project, on Tuesday so that the industrialists could be
persuaded to vacate their units voluntarily because the demolition process
could start there within a couple of day.
Work on Rs 5 billion Lyari Expressway will start by March 23 and removal of
structures, impeding the expressway has already started. Zila Nazim City
District Government Karachi Naimatullah Khan said this, while speaking as
chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of "Ladies' and Children's Park" at
Block 6, PECHS under the aegis of CPLC Neighbourhood Care. Naimat informed
that 14,000 families would be affected following anti-encroachment drive for
the expressway. However, each of them would be given alternative plots of 80
square yards in Baldia, Surjani Town and Hawkesbay and a cheque of Rs
50,000.
(The News 22/1/02)
_____________________________
Urban Resource Centre
3/48 Mualimabad Jamal uddin Afghani Road off Khalid Bin Walid Road Karachi
74800 Pakistan
Tel 92 21 4559275 Fax 92 21 4384288
E-mail urckhi@hinet.net.pk
Web site www.urckarachi.org
and www.achr.net
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Fri Jan 25 17:24:13 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 16:24:13 +0800
Subject: [sustran] FW: The Private Provision of Public Transport
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51B7D@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
A book that focuses on the US situation but probably has wider relevance and
of interest for sustran-discussers.
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan E. D. Richmond [mailto:richmond@ALUM.MIT.EDU]
Sent: Friday, 25 January 2002 4:12 AM
To: UTSG@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: The Private Provision of Public Transport
[posted with permission from Frank Montgomery]
"...should be required reading for all researchers and practitioners
involved in the delivery of urban mass transportation. ...promises to become
the definitive coverage of the current state of affairs in transit
privatization in the U.S. at the opening of the 21st century."
So goes the review of my book, "The Private Provision of Public Transport,"
in the Autumn 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Planning
Association. I'm writing this note because a UK distributor has just been
arranged. www.profbooks.com is carrying the book, and the title is in fact
currently the "Editor's First Choice" in their Transport and Logistics
Bookshop on their website. Since airmail postage for single units shipped
from the States is prohibitive, it will be cheapest for those in Europe to
obtain copies from Profbooks.
The book started out as a project to see whether decision-making on
providing services in-house or by outsourcing was the result of financial
analysis or political ideology. Interviews conducted in eight cities for
seven case studies indicated the latter, with data analysis generally
doctored to favor the prevailing political view. Republicans and Democrats
were equally to blame for unreflective thinking, whether in the uncritical
pursuit of the private sector or its unqualified rejection. In framing the
debate as a public vs. private one, no attention is paid to the possibility
that public operations could be reconfigured to take on some of the
advantages of private services while retaining those features that make
public operations desirable.
A book by someone writing from a planning perspecive will, of course,
ultimately need to focus on the client, and it is the public transport user
who has no voice in a process where developing any notion of good service is
subservient to obedience to political motivations and beliefs.
There are five chapters covering bus operations, in Denver, Indianapolis,
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Looking at privatization from a
different -- community -- perspective, I also included two chapters on
jitneys, generally run by low-income, minority operators catering for their
local communities in Miami and New York. Urged on by union pressures as well
as self-preservation, local planners and Democratic politicians have tried
to close down operations which offer a level of service the public sector
has never provided, and have shown little interest in integrating it with
their own. Planners impose their own values in deciding what service ought
to be, failing to appreciate that local users might like the very
reggae-playing non-air conditioned and not always terribly safely-driven
vans that they find scary, and regard the refrigerated but hard-seated and
infrequent and impersonal government-subsidized monoliths that ply the
streets as the undesirable and inferior good.
While the book focuses on American examples, its content is relevant to
debates about privatization around the world. It has, indeed, been featured
in The Economist, and was presented as part of a programme I arranged at MIT
to brief four members of the London Assembly visiting the States on
transport financing and service delivery issues.
If you are interested in reading the conclusion before purchasing, the final
chapter can be found on my web site at http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond.
A related article I wrote for the Los Angeles Times is also available there.
The order form on the site should only be used for ordering directly from
Harvard (which requires $9 shipping for orders to Europe, but is postfree
within the United States and to Canada). The book can also be ordered
through any US bookseller. If you are in a part of the world not yet
mentioned, please verify shipping costs at www.barnesandnoble.com or
www.profbooks.com as against directly from Harvard.
I'll be pleased to receive any comments from those of you who read the book,
and would also appreciate recommendations for purchase by university
libraries if you feel this is appropriate. Thanks!
--Jonathan Richmond
-----
Jonathan E. D. Richmond (617) 864-6394
79 JFK St.
Cambridge MA 02138-5801
USA
e-mail: richmond@alum.mit.edu http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
From geobpa at nus.edu.sg Mon Jan 28 17:59:40 2002
From: geobpa at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter)
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 16:59:40 +0800
Subject: [sustran] Re: FW: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL re Expressway in Kara chi
Message-ID: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51CA9@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
EVICTION ALERT APPEAL FROM POOR COMMUNITIES OF LYARI NADI (river) IN
KARACHI, PAKISTAN.
Update 28 January
Talks between government and community leaders were failure. Government is
not interested in further negotiations on this subject and justifying its
actions through state powers.
During the talks the communities presented the following demands;
1. Ensure transparency in this process, exhibit the plan and hold citywide
forums to discuss this issue.
2. Form a committee, which prepare a resettlement plan. Ensure proper
participation of victims in this committee.
3. Resettle all effected families in the same area in the remaining land
along Expressway; (note government presetly is considering selling this land
to the builders for commercial purposes).
4. Increase the compensation money up to the actual value of the properties
5. Develop a timeframe and cost for resettlement plan.
All these demands are rejected and the bulldozing operation will resume any
time now.
Meanwhile communities have released their update survey results of
effectees;
- Housing units 25400
- Total number of families 77000
- Total population 203200 (including 54 male & 46 females)
- Shops/commercial units 3600
- Religious places 146
- Schools 110
- Total number children,
Who loose heir final exams this year 20,000
(All these settlements have basic inrastructure like water supply, sewerage,
electricity etc.)
Now the communities (who are now loosing their faith and hope) have no
choice except to take law in order in their hands. But the most of
communities still believes the talks and negotiations are only way out to
this issue. They are spending all nights in chasing the city government
reprehensive for talks.
Efforts are being made to bring the government on talk table; your appeal
faxes are helping a lot in regard. More faxes can further delay the
bulldozing operation. Also send a copy of your fax to URC Karachi for follow
up. We are also giving a copy of your fax to communities, who are highly
grateful for your support.
For more details please visit web site www.urckarachi.org
Regards
_____________________________
Urban Resource Centre
3/48 Mualimabad Jamal uddin Afghani Road off Khalid Bin Walid Road Karachi
74800 Pakistan
Tel 92 21 4559275 Fax 92 21 4384288
E-mail urckhi@hinet.net.pk
Web site www.urckarachi.org
and www.achr.net
From kisansbc at vsnl.com Thu Jan 31 00:12:08 2002
From: kisansbc at vsnl.com (kisan mehta)
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 20:42:08 +0530
Subject: [sustran] Re: FW: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL re Expressway in Karachi
References: <2C9E855D35B9D01198190020AFFBE8CB0ED51CA9@exs04.ex.nus.edu.sg>
Message-ID: <007301c1a9a0$7c0a5d00$3226020a@im.eth.net>
Dear Paul and Sustran Colleagues,
The condition of poor communities of LYARI NADI
in Karachi, Pakistan is an example of the alienation
suffered by the poor in every country of the world.
The government and the rich want all facilities like
expressways but do not want to pay the cost of
developing infrastructure. The idea of setting up
towns on the route of the expressway to cover up
the high cost of building expressways puts
additional burden on the community, majority of
whom are poor. And there is no body to take up
their case. Even the environmentalists and so
called community workers also need facilities
for their comfort.
Quite often the government construction agency is
not left with any money to build the towns etc and
the rich were never told to bear the costs, So the
burde comes to the poor. About half of 165 km
length of Mumbai Pune Expressway was opened with
lot of funfair. The last one year experience has shown
that even the recurring costs are not covered. Nobody
can say as to when satellite towns will come up.
Conditions in Pakistan are no better. Yet the authorities
do not drop expensive programmes. Uprooting citizens
from their moorings creates a feeling of alienation
and that leads to strife btween people. Best wishes.
Priya Salvi and Kisan Mehta
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Barter
To:
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 2:29 PM
Subject: [sustran] Re: FW: EVICTION ALERT APPEAL
re Expressway in Karachi
EVICTION ALERT APPEAL FROM POOR COMMUNITIES OF LYARI NADI (river) IN
KARACHI, PAKISTAN.
Update 28 January
Talks between government and community leaders were failure. Government is
not interested in further negotiations on this subject and justifying its
actions through state powers.
>
During the talks the communities presented the following demands;
>
1. Ensure transparency in this process, exhibit the plan and
hold citywide forums to discuss this issue.
>
2. Form a committee, which prepare a resettlement plan. Ensure proper
participation of victims in this committee.
>
3. Resettle all effected families in the same area in the remaining land
along Expressway; (note government
presetly is considering selling this land to the builders for commercial
purposes.
>
4. Increase the compensation money up to the actual
value of the properties
>
5. Develop a timeframe and cost for resettlement plan.
>
All these demands are rejected and the bulldozing operation
will resume any time now.
>
Meanwhile communities have released their update survey results of
effectees;
>
> - Housing units 2540
> - Total number of families 77000
> - Total population 203200 (inc 54 male & 46 females)
> - Shops/commercial units 3600
> - Religious places 146
> - Schools 110
> - Total number children,
Who will lose heir final exams this year 20,000
>
> (All these settlements have basic inrastructure like water supply,
sewerage, electricity etc.)
>
> Now the communities (who are now losing their faith and hope) have no
choice except to take law in order in their hands. But the most of
communities still believes the talks and negotiations are only way out to
this issue. They are spending all nights in chasing the city government
reprehensive for talks.
>
> Efforts are being made to bring the government on talk table; your appeal
faxes are helping a lot in regard. More faxes can further delay the
bulldozing operation. Also send a copy of your fax to URC Karachi for follow
up. We are also giving a copy of your fax to communities, who are highly
grateful for your support.
>
> For more details please visit web site www.urckarachi.org
>
>
> Regards
>
> _____________________________
> Urban Resource Centre
> 3/48 Mualimabad Jamal uddin Afghani Road off Khalid Bin Walid Road Karachi
74800 Pakistan
> Tel 92 21 4559275 Fax 92 21 4384288
> E-mail urckhi@hinet.net.pk
> Web site www.urckarachi.org
> and www.achr.net
>