[sustran] Re: Reader's Digest Article

[Daryl Oster]

Bill,

My wife and I liven in Chengdu China for several months, during the last 2
years, (we just returned to the US this week).  We often observed (and
photographed) the conflicting driving habits of buses, taxis, personal cars,
bicycles, pedestrian carts, trucks, and small utility vehicles.  From the
perspective of riding in the busses, the bikes, carts, and pedestrians are
the main problem.  From the perspective of walking or biking: the cars,
taxis, trucks, and busses are the problem.  

The main "problem" in my opinion, is not busses, or bikes, it is massive
failure (by all) to follow rules that would result in orderly and more rapid
flow for all modes.  Traffic lights are totally ignored by bikes,
pedestrians walk in the street instead of the sidewalk (no one knows why -
they have just always walked in the street!), bikes pass the pedestrians
without looking back, or signaling, and bikes and motorcycles drive on the
sidewalks, 3 wheel utility "mopeds" pass the bikes - again without looking
back or signaling - trucks pass the utilities vehicles - taxis cars and
busses blast past the trucks - soon all flow is in one direction - when
facing a wall of flow, vehicles traveling in the opposite direction often
see better opportunity on the wrong side of the road -- Chaos rules - the
attempts at order appear mere suggestions. 

There is much less mode conflict on freeways in China, the main problem on
freeways is failure to observe lane priority, attempting to "create" new
lanes in heavy flow, and failure to signal intentions and make sure to clear
the intended lane before switching lanes to pass a slower vehicle.  The
problems are endemic to all vehicles - not just busses.   

So much for the "problems"; IMO, the solutions  are: improved driver
education, to strictly enforce rules that separate the mixed flow, and to
rapidly develop solutions (like ETT) that eliminate the opportunity for the
conflicts of mixed flow.  This is all occurring in China- but it must happen
faster.  

Daryl Oster
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: sustran-discuss-bounces+et3=et3.com at list.jca.apc.org
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+et3=et3.com at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of
> Ecenbarger at aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 8:04 AM
> To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
> Subject: [sustran] Reader's Digest Article
> 
>  I’m writing an article on the dangers of bus travel in Asia. I am seeking
> expert opinions on this subject; insights and suggestions are most
> welcome. What is the scope and gravity of the problem of bus travel in
> Asia? What are the principal causes and what are some solutions?
>  Also seeking statistics, documents, news articles and any other relevant
> information in this topic
>  I will greatly appreciate any help on this.
> 
> --Bill Ecenbarger, Reader’s Digest
> ecenbarger at aol.com
> 
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