[sustran] Re: Commercial motorcycles shut-down in Lagos

[etts at indigo.ie]

In my opinion, we have three separate issues here : 

1) Bicycle use, and the general failure to provide even the barest minimum
safe environment for cyclists or their protection, let alone an attractive
environment to make it a mode of choice. I agree with Joshua about the lack
of suitable infrastructure. Some people are trying to change this, but
typically they are dealing with city councils whose limited resources are
dealing with drainage, waste disposal, pothole repair, street lighting and
other basics that Global North takes for granted. In some cities - and I
think Lagos and Accra could be included here - there is the further
complication of streetside vendors and traders who occupy the pavements and
curbsides, and hawkers who sell in the roadspace between the slow-moving
lanes. Any cycle facilities become occupied and the cyclist faces a new
adversary even among the traffic.

2) Motorcycles for personal use. I think there is general agreement that
this is a significant mode, and often both a commercial and social lifeline
in many cities, towns and rural areas throughout Africa and Asia. There is,
of course, disagreement both about the safety aspects (e.g. in Thailand)
and where they are used in substantial numbers in urban areas (often in
conflict with cyclists). Nonetheless, I think it is a mode to be nudged in
the right direction rather than to be suppressed or heavily controlled.

3) Motorcycles for commercial passenger use. In my opinion, these have a
role in areas where there is a lack of alternatives, but not in the busier
parts of cities. We have long ago agreed that buses are the most efficient
users of road space. Why on earth should we then agree to thousands of
single-passenger two-wheelers on the busiest arteries of a major city like
Lagos? Is it because we feel that anything that gives work to the poor
can't be touched, even if it seriously damages the mobility of all
citizens? Besides, it would be interesting to know how many of the workers
actually own the motorcycle they drive, and how many are paying a rental to
an owner and then fighting aggressively for work to cover their fuel costs
and enough to eat at the end of the day.

When we debate motorcycles and bicycles, I think it is important to keep
focus on which strand we are discussing. 

With best wishes, 


Brendan Finn. 

Original Message:
-----------------
From: joshua odeleye joshuaodeleye at yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2006 03:58:47 -0700 (PDT)
To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
Subject: [sustran] Re: Commercial motorcycles shut-down in Lagos


Dear Walter,
  In the Global North, motorcycle may not necessarily be a part of "urban
transportation".But in the Global South particlarly Sub-Sahara
Africa,motorcycle is a sub-system of the urban transport.For instances,it
takes care of a subtiantial percentage of the travel demand, in most cities
that are bedevilled by traffic congestion.As a result,it has been able to
bridge the gap of long distance and short neighbourhood
trekking,headloading which are still a major challenge of rural transport
in this part of the world. 
  Bicycle is a wonderful alternative to motorbike,apart from the fact that
the infrastructure for a safe ride is not available in most
countries,socially people in cities may want to despise it,but if 
infrastructure like bicycle paths could be provided in cities prior funding
and or distribution of bicycle,i am of the opinion that more people across
gender would embrace it.But, it is unfortunate that in this part of the
world nobody has ever thought of providing this infrastucture,meanwhile
they want all to shift to bicycle.This may be difficult to accomplish.I
will be glad if anyone can point out extensive of bicycle path
infrastructure provision in West Africa as well as other part of the global
south.
  Regards,
  JOSHUA ODELEYE.
  NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY,
  ZARIA,NIGEIA
   
  Walter Hook <whook at itdp.org> wrote:
                We need to be careful here.  Not all transportation is
‘urban’, and in Africa lack of access to basic mobility constitutes a
fundamental barrier to economic development, access to employment, health
care, schools, etc.  A number of thoughtful articles by John Howe and other
experts indicate that the introduction of motorcycles has had enormous
economic benefits in those few African cities where they have been
introduced, and of course a few unfortunate externalities like more
pollution, accidents, etc.  
   
  The problem of the ‘missing middle’ in Africa, meaning the absence of
vehicle options between land rovers and women headloading, is a key
component of the basic economic underdevelopment of Africa.  When a woman
spends 60 hours a week taking care of basic mobility needs, how in the hell
is she supposed to do much else?  When your country is very poor, the
economic effects are extremely critical.  We’re doing good work introducing
better bicycles, which are of course not controversial, but all the
industry related problems are the same, and the economic benefits of
introducing cleaner, cheapter, higher quality motorcycles would be
important also.  There is no such thing as ‘public transportation’ in
Africa at this point, there are only paratransit services.  A lot of
African cities are very low density, and motorcycles are a reasonable
option.  Ambient air pollution becomes a problem only with a certain amount
of concentration of the pollutants.  The safety issues are
 better addressed by designing roads for slower speeds.  
   
  What to do about motorcycles is certainly a critical issue.  Banning them
in Africa is certainly not the solution.
   
  Best
  Walter 
   
  -----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf
Of Eric Bruun
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 3:42 PM
To: eric.britton at ecoplan.org; Global 'South' Sustainable Transport; 'Global
'South' Sustainable Transport'
Cc: oscar_kim2000 at yahoo.co.uk; 'joshua odeleye'
Subject: [sustran] Re: Commercial motorcycles shut-down in Lagos
   
    Like I keep saying, massive numbers of motorcycles and mopeds is a
symptom of neglect of public transport. If the rich can drive, are the
masses really going to do without mobility if they can afford it? How could
you persuade them otherwise?

     

    Eric Bruun



    -----Original Message----- 
From: Eric Britton 
Sent: Sep 6, 2006 11:52 AM 
To: 'Global 'South' Sustainable Transport' 
Cc: oscar_kim2000 at yahoo.co.uk, 'joshua odeleye' 
Subject: [sustran] Commercial motorcycles shut-down in Lagos 



  As Walter put it so well, they are playing with fire in the streets of 
Lagos today. For the reasons that he and Joshua mention, but also because –
and this is something that transport planners often simply do not take into
consideration since they try to ‘solve’ their problems within a very
partial systems analysis in a broadly and relentlessly systemic world –
they either have no memory or no knowledge of what happens when you mess
with the ‘small details’ of people’s lives. In this case as Walter points
out, actually millions of people.
   
  History is strewn with the bodies of specialists who proposed
‘transportation solutions’ to inconvenient problems, only to see a fast and
massive reaction on the streets that has toppled governments in very many
cases. (It’s really quite a long list and at some point we might all sit
down and draw it up as a sweet reminder.  Transportation is indeed
dynamite!)
   
  And oh yes, I have not forgotten in this that push from the law
enforcement side for whatever reasons. My best guess is though that the
transport guys were just looking for  good excuse to get these guys out of
circulation.
   
  This leaves us at the end of the day, however, with what is among the
most ‘inconvenient truths’ of transport planning and policies in cities
across the Global South today – those damn motorized two-wheelers.
Certainly an enormous problem, but a far more subtle and astute response is
called for. 
   
  Eric Britton



 		
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