Transportation infrastructure is a key factor in enhancing economic growth and quality of life. Still, many recent transportation initiatives, by focusing on cars and highways, have favored the rich and the middle class. The following articles explore ways to provide safe, affordable, eco-friendly, and reliable transportation to the poor in the Global South. Read on to learn more, then join the discussion below.
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Tariq Toffa, Johannesburg Community Manager
Apartheid policies in South Africa made for ineffective cities. Fragmented and segmented, Johannesburg has an ambivalent relationship with public transport. Historically, more affluent, mostly northern white suburbs were provided with extensive transport infrastructure, such as electric trams (1906-48) and later highways (see Fig. 1). By contrast, the denser and poorer black townships, mostly in the south, were provided with limited and marginalised rail and bus public transport. Yet out of desperate need by being located far away from major industrial and commercial centres, in the 1970s a mini-bus taxi industry emerged, which has grown to serve approximately 72 percent of all public transport users.
Despite a number of post-1994 initiatives, urban transport system problems persist. Recently (2006-2012), in the largest Public Private Partnership yet launched in South Africa, between the Gauteng Provincial Government and Bombela International Consortium, a rapid rail project worth R20 billion (US$ 2 billion) was implemented. The “Gautrain” rapid rail network consists of two spines: one (south-north) linking Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the other (west-east) linking the Sandton business district and OR Tambo International airport. Coupled with this, in 2007 the City began constructing an ambitious Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) known as the “Rea Vaya” (see Fig. 2).
The new systems address speed, efficiency, and traffic decongestion, as well as problems of safety, facilities, and crime that have affected the taxi industry. Crucially, the BRT in particular improves access of marginalised communities to industrial and commercial centers: firstly linking the townships in the south to Johannesburg’s CBD (phase 1A and 1B), and subsequently linking Alexandra township in the north with Sandton and Johannesburg’s CBD (phase 1C). Together with the Gautrain, it is envisioned as a key catalyst for the city’s Transit Orientated Development (TOD) plan for urban regeneration and economic development at transit hubs. Hence two BRT routes (phase 1B and 1C) will become “corridors” of mixed-use development.
In contrast to the BRT, the Gautrain, in catering purely for the affluent car owner/user, from a social perspective clearly suffers from the criticism of class/mobility-related exclusion; although this could be offset by a BRT system that, unlike the Gautrain where there is no clarity in providing mixed-income residential development around its stations, clearly allows for mixed-income along BRT corridors.
Nonetheless, on the whole, both projects direct growth toward former white group areas which are developed, and not toward new corridor and nodal development in previously underdeveloped areas; and so they also do not remove the burden of excessive and reverse commuting. The terminal infrastructure developments of both projects, too, are located away from the marginal communities’ location.
Other issues include the sustained opposition by some organisations within the taxi industry, which the BRT wishes to absorb, and the high cost of the BRT (R35 million / US$ 3.5 million per km, and at least R7 million / US$ 700,000 per BRT station). It is unclear how much investment was essential for the long-term operational sustainability of the project, and how much could also have been creatively employed for the project to balance other more social priority purposes.
At first glance the Gautrain/BRT initiative appears a master-stroke of integrative urban transport; yet while it is still incomplete and without a full-scale evaluation of its impact, particularly for poor neighbourhoods and travel patterns, from a social perspective, the jury is still out.
Fig. 1: Early twentieth century electric trams (Beavon 2001)
Fig. 2: Historic racial segregation, with new BRT and Gautrain routes (map by author)
Olatawura Ladipo-Ajayi, Lagos Community Manager
Lagos is a small city with a large population. Lagos state is the smallest in Nigeria, with an area of 356,861 hectares of which 75,755 hectares are wetlands, yet it has over 5 percent of the national population, making it the most populous state in the nation. The city is overpopulated and still growing, with a growth rate of 8 percent. This issue causes congestion problems in various facets of city life, but most especially in transportation. Lagos is notorious for its heavy traffic, where a 30-minute journey can take two hours on a weekday. Congestion saps the population of energy, contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle, and generally makes for a less productive workforce.
In 2008, Governor Fashola’s state government introduced the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme through the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) to improve road transport system and ultimately reduce congestion. The new fleet of buses were designed to be more comfortable, and introduced an organised system of public transportation. The pilot BRT transport scheme runs through 22 km of exclusive lanes, providing faster transport at affordable prices for commuters. Since its inception, a lot of positive impact has been recorded. Highlights recorded by the World Bank include:
- Reduction in time and money spent by poor households on travel from 90 minutes and 150 Naira in 2003, to 23 minutes and 100 Naira in June 2009.
- Money spent by poor households on public transportation was reduced from 17 percent of all spending in 2003 to 11 percent in June 2009.
- Average pilot bus route waiting time at terminal was reduced from 20 minutes in 2003 to 10 minutes in June 2009.
Significant progress is being made to solve the problem of public transportation for Lagos residents. Recently, the state Governor Fashola introduced an e-ticketing system to the BRT scheme to create a more efficient and people-friendly transport ticketing system in the city. The system allows for certain groups to pay as low as 20 Naira (approximately 12 cents) for short distance commutes, and allows for purchase of weekly tickets, making public road infrastructure more attractive.
However effective the fleets of buses are, they need to be augmented by more transport alternatives. The city is blessed with waterways and rail tracks — it would be interesting to see how much less congestion on city roads could be achieved if other modes of transportation infrastructure are put in place (the rail system is in the process of being revived). More ferries on the waterways and intra-city rail transport would go a long way in road decongestion. Creating a system with wider reach would produce a system more efficient at reducing road congestion.
The state is aware of the need for alternatives and is partnering with organisations to propose alternative transport infrastructures. The World Bank, joined by the Agence Française de Développement, is working with LAMATA to prepare the Lagos Urban Transport Project 2 to meet some of this demand and to extend the BRT routes. The BRT project extension is expected to be completed by December, 2014. Ultimately, LAMATA plans to expand the BRT system strategically along eight different corridors within the city. Hopefully recorded success does not lead to agencies relaxing their resolve, and that the improvement of the BRT system is a continuous goal of the state government.
Photo credit: Tolu Talabi
Carlin Carr, Mumbai Community Manager
Mumbai’s commuter woes are as oft discussed as scores to the latest cricket match. They are griped about daily and exchanged with fervor. Gridlock, overcrowded trains, non-existent east-west routes dominate the discussion and so do the controversial solutions on the table: sealinks, flyovers, monorails. Transportation activists such as Rishi Aggarwal, a research fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and member of the Mumbai Transport Forum (MTF), says that one of the major issues is that there is no integrated approach to planning, leaving commuters with ad hoc, disconnected systems.
Yet a solution from Chennai offers a comprehensive example for Mumbai on how to move toward sustainable, comprehensive mobility. In August, Shreya Gadepalli, of the Institute for Transportation Development Policy (ITDP), presented her work with a new initiative, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), at the ORF to share the progress Chennai has made and how it might apply to Mumbai.
Importantly, CUMTA members include a cross-section of all different government authorities responsible for transportation, centralizing collaborative decision-making to move the organization’s goal forward. And the goal is ambitious: to achieve a modal shift away from car-centric transport to public transport, focusing on walking and cycling as dominant modes.
CUMTA held a workshop in January 2013 to move forward its efforts. The members divided into four working groups, focusing on:
- CUMTA as an agent of change
- Developing an integrated, high quality bus and BRT network for Chennai
- Improving streets and public realm
- Management of road space and travel demand
Since then, the group has already taken important steps to reclaim road space for pedestrians where there was little or none in the past. In fact, a large-scale cycle network strategy is part of the plan. The main cycle path will take advantage of Chennai’s seaside location, stretching for miles up the coast with connecting points to many neighborhoods and the stations along the way. There will be an extensive cycle-sharing program with less than a 300-meter walk to a cycle sharing station in the network.
“We are always keen to learn from New York and London, so for a change, we will learn from Chennai,” says Aggarwal, who has also founded the Walking Project in Mumbai to promote better walking conditions and sidewalks in the city.
One of the biggest achievements from Chennai, says Gadepalli, who emphasizes that there is “nothing on the ground to show right now,” is that there is a consensus from the highest levels in the city on implementing more sustainable approaches: “If you speak to people, there is a sea change in how they perceive things. If you go and ask anyone, the only thing they are talking about these days is how to create better facilities for pedestrians and improving public transport.”
To watch Shreya Gadepalli’s full presentation, click here.
Photo credit: Satish Krishnamurthy
লেখকঃ নিশা কারকি
অনুবাদকঃ নুসরাত ইয়াসমিন এবং ফারজানা নওশিন
বিশ্ব ব্যাংক এক জরিপে বলেছে যে, বাংলাদেশে দরিদ্র (মাথাপিছু আয়২ ডলার) মানুষের সংখ্যা ২৬ শতাংশ কমে গিয়েছে অর্থাৎ যা ২০০০ সালে ছিল ৬,৩০,০০০০০ সেটি ২০১০ সালে কমে ৪,৭০,০০০০০ হয়েছে। যদিও বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক উন্নতি প্রতি বছর ১% করে বাড়ছে তারপরও গরীব ও মধ্যবিত্তের মধ্যে অর্থনৈতিক বৈষম্য এখনো আছে। এই অর্থনৈতিক বৈষম্যতা মধ্যবিত্ত ও গরীবদের মধ্যে সরকার প্রদানকৃত যানবাহন ব্যবস্থার উপর প্রভাব বিস্তার করে। জনাব মান্নান এর মতে, ঢাকার যানবাহন পরিস্থিতি উচ্চ আয়ের পরিবারের জন্য বেশী প্রযোজ্য এবং সুবিধাজনক। ঢাকায় যেসব পরিবারের নিজস্ব মোটরযান আছে তাদের ৬৬% মানুষেরই আয় ৩০,০০০ টাকার বেশী। অন্যদিকে, নিম্ন আয়ের জনগোষ্ঠীর মোটরবিহীন গণপরিবহন ব্যবহার করার প্রবনতা বেশী। এ কারণে এ সমস্ত যানবাহনে অতিরিক্ত ভীড় থাকে; বিশেষ করে মহিলা এবং শিশুদের জন্য এসব যানবাহন ব্যবহার করা অস্বস্তিকর করে পড়ে। সি.এন.জি, নিজস্ব গাড়ী এবং বাস অতিরিক্ত ব্যবহারের কারণে শহুরে জনগোষ্ঠী গণপরিবহনের মান কমিয়ে দিয়েছে; উপরন্তু, রিকশা এবং বাইসাইকেলেরও মান কমে গিয়েছে।
১৯৬১ অধ্যাদেশে সপ্তম নম্বরের অধীনে বাংলাদেশ রোড ট্রান্সপোর্ট কর্পোরেশন (বি.আর.টি.সি) প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়েছিল। এটি বাংলাদেশ সরকারের স্বীকৃত পরিবহন কর্পোরেশন যা সকল শ্রেণীর মানুষের জন্য সস্তা এবং আরামদায়ক ভ্রমন ব্যবস্থা প্রদানের জন্য প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়। বর্তমানে বাংলাদেশে বি.আর.টি.সি এর ১,১১৬ টি বাস পুরো বাংলাদেশে চলাচল করছে কিন্তু এগুলো ৪৭ মিলিয়ন (প্রায় ২৬ শতাংশ) দরিদ্র মানুষের পরিবহন চাহিদা মিটাতে যথেষ্ট নয়।
অনুরূপভাবে, কার্যকরী, সাশ্রয়ী মূল্যে পরিবহন ব্যবস্থা প্রদানের লক্ষ্যে বাংলাদেশ সরকার বিশ্ব ব্যাংকের সহায়তায় ঢাকা নগর পরিবহন প্রকল্প (DUTP) প্রতিষ্ঠিত করেছে। খন্দকার ও রাউসের মতে, ডি.ইউ.টি.পি. ফ্লাইওভার নির্মাণের মাধ্যমে প্রধান সড়কে যানবাহন চলাচলের উন্নতিসাধন করেছে; যদিও বাস্তবে এর দ্বারা পুরুষ যাত্রীগণ, উচ্চবিত্ত মানুষ এবং মোটরগাড়ী-মালিকবৃন্দ প্রধানত উপকৃত হচ্ছে। বস্তুত, নিম্ন আয়ের মানুষ, যাদের যানবাহন ছিল পরিবহন সাশ্রয়ী রিকশা, তাদের ফ্লাইওভার নির্মাণকালীন সময়ে কষ্টভোগ করতে হয়েছিল। ক্ষুদ্র পুঁজিবাদীদের উপর এই প্রকল্পের পর্যাপ্ত বিচার-বিশ্লেষণের অভাবের ফলে দরিদ্র জীবনে ব্যাপক ক্ষতিসাধন হয়েছে।
দরিদ্র এবং মধ্যবিত্ত শ্রেণীর মধ্যে পরিবহন পরিকাঠামোগত ফাঁক কমানোর জন্য বাংলাদেশ সরকারকে গণপরিবহন, যেমন-রেলওয়ে বা স্বল্প দামী পাবলিক বাসের সংখ্যা বৃদ্ধি করতে হবে। সকল প্রকার পরিবহনের সেবা চার্জ যেন সব শ্রেণীর জন্য সহজলভ্য হয় সেদিকে নজর রাখতে হবে। এক বিবৃতিতে ওয়ার্ল্ড ব্যাংক বলে, “পরিবহন বিধি যা মোটরবিহীন-চালিত যানবাহন ব্যবহারের প্রচার চালায় তা সাধারণত সেই জনগোষ্ঠীর সরাসরি কল্যাণ সাধন করে যারা মোটরচালিত যানবাহন ব্যবহারে সামর্থ্য নয়।” তাই সরকারের মোটরবিহীন-চালিত যানবাহন ব্যবহারের প্রতি বিশেষ দৃষ্টি রাখতে হবে। উদাহরণস্বরূপ, রিকশা এবং বাইসাইকেলের উপর থেকে কর সরিয়ে ফেলা বা হ্রাস করা এবং পারকিং এর জন্য খালি স্থান তৈরী করতে হবে। ভবিষ্যতে পরিবহন প্রকল্প গঠনের সময় যেমনঃ ডি.ইউ.টি.পি.(DUTP), দরিদ্রদের উপর নেতিবাচক এবং ইতিবাচক প্রভাব কীরূপ পড়ছে তা পরিকল্পনাকারীকে ও সরকারকে অবশ্যই খেয়াল রাখতে হবে। উন্নয়ন প্রকল্পগুলোর ধনীদের উপকার করার পাশাপাশি সরাসরি দরিদ্রদের জীবনযাত্রার মান উন্নয়ন করা উচিত।
Photo credit: Robert Monestel
Nisha Karki, Dhaka Community Manager
The World Bank has stated that the number of Bangladeshis living in poverty, with a per capita income of less than $2 a day, has declined from 63 million in 2000 to 47 million (26 percent of the overall Bangladeshi population) in 2010. Though Bangladesh has successfully upgraded its economic growth rate every decade by one percent, there is still a huge economic gap between the poor and the middle class. This economic gap causes inequality regarding the transportation facilities provided to the rich and to the poor. According to Md. Shafiqul Mannan, the Dhaka transportation system favors high-income households. Sixty-six percent of the households with private motor vehicles belong to the income group higher than 30,000 BDT. In contrast, low-income groups have a higher tendency to choose non-motorized vehicles (rickshaws and bicycles). Public transportation is usually uncomfortable, crowded, overloaded, and difficult to access for poor women and children. The middle-class use of compressed natural gas-powered auto-rickshaws, private cars and buses has led to a decrease in service and quality of public transportation and non-motorized vehicles, such as rickshaws and bicycles.
Under the ordinance No. VII of 1961, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) was established as a government corporate transport body to provide cheap and comfortable travel for all groups of people. Currently, there are 1,116 BRTC buses running all over Bangladesh, but this number is not sufficient to provide the desired services for the 47 million poor people who live in Bangladesh.
In order to create efficient, affordable, and sustainable transport, the Bangladesh government, in collaboration with the World Bank, established the Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP). According to Khandoker and Rouse, the DUTP has brought improvements in the flow of traffic along main roads by constructing flyovers. However, the benefits were felt mainly by private bus users and car owners, not the poor. Indeed, lower-income people were excluded since non-motorized vehicles such as rickshaws were banned during the construction period. Lack of careful examination and analysis of the impact of this project on poor stakeholders caused negative impacts on the lives of the poor.
To minimize gaps between the transportation infrastructure for the poor and the middle class, the Bangladesh government needs to increase the number of public transportation options that are less expensive, such as railways or public buses. Ticket prices for all kinds of transportation should be monitored to ensure that they are affordable for all. As the World Bank stated, “Transport interventions that promote the use of non-motorized transport usually contribute directly to the welfare of those people who cannot afford motorized transport.” Therefore, the government needs to provide special attention to the uses and benefits of non-motorized vehicles. For example, taxes on rickshaws and bicycles should be removed or reduced, and free lanes should be created for parking non-motorized vehicles. When designing transportation projects such as DUTP, planners and the government must take into account the effects that these projects will have on the poor.
Photo credit: Robert Monestel
Widya Anggraini, Jakarta Contributor
Many of Jakarta’s residents use Kopaja buses to get around, a 25-seat minibus that is cheap and serves the whole city. Kopaja is owned by a private cooperation established in the 1970s but currently faces a number issues regarding safety, comfort, pollution, and poor maintenance. The government is therefore intervening to integrate Kopaja with the Transjakarta busway system and to rejuvenate the bus conditions. The government is planning to add 1000 Kopaja buses, provide better service, switch to more eco-friendly gas, and subsidize the corporation so that prices remain affordable.
KOPAJA! Siapa orang Jakarta yang tidak tahu tentang Kopaja. Bis ukuran sedang dengan kapasitas 25 orang yang sering digunakan sebagai angkutan umum oleh masyarakat awam. Ia disukai karena murah dengan tarif Rp 3.000, untuk jarak dekat maupun jauh. Kopaja dimiliki oleh perusahaan penyedia jasa angkutan umum bernama Koperasi Angkutan Jakarta yang telah berdiri sejak 1970an. Masyarakat kecil yang tidak mampu membeli kendaraan pribadi cukup terbantu dengan keberadaan Kopaja dan Metromini yang memiliki rute lengkap dan tersebar di Jakarta Pusat, Barat, Utara, Timur dan Selatan meski dengan kompromi kurangnya rasa nyaman. Karenanya saat ini Pemerintah Jakarta melakukan intervensi terhadap keberadaan Kopaja dengan membantu proses peremajaan bis hingga penyediaan subsidi; menyediakan armada bis baru dan integrasi dengan jalur busway Transjakarta.
Sebagai angkutan umum, Kopaja sering mendapat sorotan negatif dikarenakan alasan: Pertama, penumpang Kopaja sering berlebih hingga dua kali lipat sehingga rawan kejahatan seperti pencurian dan pelecehan. Kedua, Kopaja juga dianggap jauh dari aman sebab sering kali alat kemudi dan pengukur kecepatan yang seadanya. Banyak pengemudi mobil pribadi yang merasa terancam sebab cara menyetir sopir Kopaja yang ugal-ugalan dan sering melanggar rambu-rambu lalu lintas dan membahayakan pengguna jalan lain. Ketiga, Kopaja merupakan penyumbang besar polusi perkotaan disebabkan buruknya sistem pembuangan karbon yang cukup membahayakan bagi manusia dan lingkungan.
Mengingat peran strategi Kopaja dalam menyediakan angkutan umum yang murah maka pemerintah DKI Jakarta akan mulai membenahi infrastruktur dan kondisi Kopaja. Untuk saat ini pemerintah DKI Jakarta sedang berupaya mengintegrasikan antara keberadaan Kopaja dan Busway misalnya dengan penggunaan jalur Transjakarta yang cenderung “istimewa” untuk jalur Kopaja. Transjakarta sendiri adalah moda transportasi baru yang mulai berjalan sejak tahun 2004. Keberadaan Transjakarta disambut positif oleh masyarakat sebab ia bebas macet, memiliki kursi yang nyaman, berpendingin, dan relative aman dibanding menggunakan Kopaja meski harga hampir dua kali lebih mahal. Meski demikian Transjakarta belum memiliki jalur sebanyak Kopaja sehingga integrasi Kopaja ke jalur Transjakarta akan sangat membantu dalam memperluas jaringan pelayanan Transjakarta.
Untuk itu, Kopaja yang menggunakan jalur busway haruslah bis-bis yang secara fisik telah sesuai standar yang ditetapkan oleh pihak Transjakarta misalnya dilengkapi dengan AC dan kursi yang lebih nyaman dan mesin yang layak. Untuk saat ini bis yang sudah diintegrasikan di jalur busway adalah Kopaja AC bernomor rute S.13, P20, S13 dan S602. Harga tiket Kopaja AC dibuat sama dengan Transjakarta sehingga penumpang dapat menggunakan tiket yang sama untuk kedua moda transportasi tersebut.
Selanjutnya untuk memperbaiki kualitas Kopaja yang beroperasi di Jakarta, Kopaja berencana secara mandiri akan meremajakan unit-unit bisnya. Sejak Januari hingga Mei 2013 kurang lebih ada 77 unit Kopaja yang sudah tertangani dan masih ada sekitar 1.479 unit Kopaja regular yang belum mengalami perbaikan. Untuk itu Kopaja berencana bekerjasama dengan pemerintah dan berupaya memperoleh subsidi untuk peremajaan bis. Terkait hal tersebut Guberbur DKI Jakarta, Joko Widodo, juga telah menyampaikan inisiatifnya untuk peremajaan Kopaja dengan melakukan uji kelayakan dan mengganti bis-bis yang sudah tidak layak pakai. Jokowi sendiri berjanji akan menambah 1000 unit Kopaja baru di akhir tahun ini untuk meningkatkan pelayanan kepada masyarakat serta mengkonversi Kopaja dengan Bahan Bakar Gas untuk menekan biaya bahan bakar dan mengurangi pencemaran udara.
Foto: XXVIII
Catalina Gomez, Coordenadora da Rede em Rio de Janeiro
Segundo Rio Como Vamos, a insatisfação dos cariocas com a mobilidade e o transporte público da cidade vem crescendo nos últimos anos. A mais recente pesquisa da Rio Como Vamos foi feita em 2013 previamente aos protestos de Junho. Para compreender aquela insatisfação coletiva é importante conhecer melhor as condições do sistema de transporte público da cidade para identificar suas fraquezas e potenciais soluções.
Iniciemos com o metrô. Embora ele tenha sido inaugurado faz quase 35 anos atrás e apresente um atendimento médio de 650 mil pessoas durante um dia útil, ele está subutilizado. Por exemplo, ele tem só 35 estações em quanto o de São Paulo, tem 62 e aquele de Buenos Aires tem 86. Também existem queixas constantes sobre a superlotação, contribuindo a percursos incômodos e inseguros.
A Prefeitura reporta que perto de seis por cento dos passageiros da cidade é transportada pelo metro, enquanto os ônibus transportam 70 por cento da população com uma frota de 9 mil veículos. As vans transportam perto de 17 por cento da população. Mais o principal problema com os ônibus e vans é que eles têm que compartilhar as limitadas ruas com automóveis particulares. Só nos últimos três anos o número de carros na cidade aumentou em 225 mil. Preocupações adicionais incluem a insegurança dos percursos noturnos e os tempos de espera. Especificamente com o novo BRT, embora ele tenha sido bem recebido pelos cidadãos, ainda apresenta desafios de melhora incluindo a redução da superlotação, a falta de ar acondicionado e ventilação e acessibilidade adequada da frota.
Num evento recente do Rio Como Vamos, o Secretario de Transporte, Carlos Osório falou que “2013 será o pior ano para o transito, face às 92 intervenções sendo realizadas”. Aquelas obras temporárias esperam se converter em melhoras de longo prazo para a cidade, incluindo a expansão do metro para a zona sul do Rio, melhoras nos elevadores e outras reformas que favorecem a acessibilidade nas estações do metrô, além da incorporação de novos trens para reduzir os intervalos de serviço. A cidade também vai a implantar um conjunto de câmaras para monitorar em tempo real o sistema de ônibus e garantir mais seguridade durante os percursos noturnos e conseguir identificar problemas recorrentes e soluções pertinentes.
Embora Rio seja considerado uma cidade com um sistema de transporte bem estabelecido e completo, sua infraestrutura e respetiva operação é inadequada. Algumas soluções no curto prazo incluem o desenvolvimento de medidas de manutenção mais eficientes nas estações, trens e ônibus da frota municipal. Outras soluções mais complexas e de logo prazo incluem a redução do uso do carro particular, por meio da incorporação de taxas especiais de uso. Outras ações de longo prazo que precisam ser debatidas mais amplamente incluem o dimensionamento do transporte e a mobilidade do Rio como um tema metropolitano, não municipal. Este debate é chave para assegurar os recursos e o gerenciamento adequado do sistema.
Foto: Severino Silva
Catalina Gomez, Rio de Janeiro Community Manager
According to Rio Como Vamos, the unhappiness of residents about mobility and transportation infrastructure in Rio is on the rise. The most recent research was carried out in 2013, before the June protests started. To explain this collective disapproval, it is worth taking a closer look at the city’s public transportation system to better understand its failures and some of its potential solutions.
Let’s start with the metro. Although it was inaugurated almost 35 years ago and currently serves an average of 650,000 people on a weekday, it is considered to be below its full potential. For example, the system has only 35 stations, while the similar metro system in São Paulo has 62 stations, and the one in Buenos Aires has 86. In addition, there are constant complaints about the long intervals between trains, contributing to crowding, discomfort, and safety concerns both in stations and on the train.
The local government reports that six percent of the city’s total passengers use the metro, while buses, with a fleet of more than 9,000 vehicles, are responsible for carrying 70 percent of them. Vans are another transportation modality that account for almost 17 percent of citizen transportation. The main problem with buses and vans is that they share the limited city roads with an increasing number of passenger cars. In the last three years alone, there were an additional 225,000 new cars on Rio’s roads. Additional concerns regarding buses and vans include safety at night, and overall waiting time. Although the new BRT has been positively received by residents, challenges remain related to overcrowding, lack of proper ventilation, and accessibility.
In a recent event organized by Rio Como Vamos, Carlos Osório, the city’s secretary of transportation, mentioned that “2013 will be the worst year for transit purposes, as there are more than 92 transportation works around the city.” These temporary works are aimed at improving the city’s transportation in the long term, including an ambitious expansion of the metro line towards the city’s southern area, the installation of elevators and other accessibility features in most stations, and the incorporation of new metro trains in order to reduce the intervals of train service. In addition, the city will implement a network of cameras to monitor the provision of bus service in real time, to ensure security during night shifts, and to find and correct recurring service problems.
Even though Rio could be considered to have a well-established and complete transportation system, its current infrastructure and the way it is operated are not enough to ensure that it functions adequately. Some short-term solutions would be to put in place better and more regular maintenance efforts of all stations, trains, and buses from the municipal fleet. Other more complex long-term measures include reducing the use of cars by incorporating fees and other taxes on their users, especially in the city center. Another long-term task that needs to be further explored is moving away from a municipal scope to a metropolitan understanding of mobility and transportation in the Rio area, thereby ensuring proper resource management that takes into account the dimensions and demands of such a complex system.
Photo credit: Severino Silva
Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Bogotá
Bogotá ha ganado el premio a liderazgo urbano en su categoría de transporte. Los premios, de los cuales este año se celebra su primera edición, son otorgados por el grupo C40 y por Siemens, a través de su fundación Crystal. El premio de liderazgo en transporte busca identificar proyectos o iniciativas que mejoren la situación medioambiental, medidos en términos de fomento de cambio en los modos de transporte y de la reducción de la emisión de gases causantes del efecto invernadero.
Para los conocedores de la situación actual en Bogotá la recepción del premio supone inicialmente una sorpresa. La ausencia de metro y la presencia de busetas sin ningún control de emisiones son dos realidades que saltan inmediatamente a la vista. El sistema Transmilenio, que ha servido de modelo de transporte rápido mediante autobuses a varias ciudades del mundo, se encuentra a tope de su capacidad y los proyectos de ampliación se han visto ralentizados por problemas de corrupción, retrasos y sobrecostes.
Aunque la situación actual dista mucho de ser buena, el premio se ha otorgado a un proyecto actualmente en marcha y que puede redundar en una mejora significativa de la situación medioambiental. En primer lugar, está previsto que 200 autobuses híbridos comiencen a circular por Bogotá a partir del 15 de diciembre. Los buses, marca Volvo, son fabricados en Brasil y ensamblados en Colombia. Podrán circular tanto por los carriles de alta velocidad del Transmilenio como por rutas convencionales, pues tienen puertas a ambos lados. Está previsto que circulen por la Carrera 7º, una de las principales de la ciudad y por la que en la actualidad solo circulan busetas y coches particulares. Una vez que los autobuses híbridos comiencen a circular por esta carrera, sus elevados niveles de contaminación descenderán de forma significativa. Estos buses no necesitan conectarse a la red eléctrica para recargarse.
La segunda iniciativa tomada en consideración para otorgar el premio es el lanzamiento de un programa piloto de taxis completamente eléctricos, es decir, de emisión cero. Este programa piloto contempla hasta un máximo de 50 taxis, de los cuales 12 ya han sido presentados y comenzarán a circular en los próximos días. Para su recarga se están construyendo estaciones de recarga específicas. En Bogotá hay más de 50.000 taxis, un número elevadísimo, sobre todo si consideramos que este modo de transporte es el que genera más gases de efecto invernadero por pasajero de todos los existentes. La hipotética sustitución de un número significativo de los taxis impulsados por gas gasolina a otros eléctricos tendría un impacto considerable.
Aunque no se consideró a la hora de otorgar los premios, Bogotá está finalizando los estudios previos para la construcción del metro y está planificando una ampliación significativa del Transmilenio, sustituyendo de esta forma a las contaminantes busetas. Si todos estos proyectos llegan a buen puerto, en pocos años la situación ambiental de Bogotá mejorará dramáticamente. Esperemos que así sea.
Fotos: Miguel Matus
Jorge Bela, Bogotá Community Manager
Bogotá just won the City Climate Leadership Award for transportation. The award, still on its first edition, is sponsored by the C40 group and Siemens, through its Crystal Initiative. The leadership award in transportation seeks to identify projects or initiatives aimed at improving the environmental quality of the cities for which they are intended. The methodology used to measure such improvement is based on modal shift or the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG).
For anyone familiar with the current situation of transportation in Bogotá the award might come as a surprise. It is striking considering the lack of a metro system and the still widespread presence of small buses (busetas, as locals call them), which seem to be free of any emissions controls, as they spew thick clouds of black smoke. Even if the rapid bus transportation system, Transmileno, has been very successful and even taken as a model by large cities elsewhere in Latin America and Asia, it is now operating at full capacity. Expansion projects have been plagued by corruption, delays, and cost overruns.
Even if the current situation is far from ideal, the award was granted to a project, currently being implemented, with a considerable potential to improve the environmental conditions in Bogotá. The project seeks to introduce hybrid buses and zero emissions taxis by the end of 2013. To this end, 200 hybrid buses have been purchased and are expected to start running in late December. These Volvo buses are built in Brazil and assembled in Colombia, and they do not need to recharge in the grid. They can be used in Transmilenio express lanes as well as in regular streets, as they have doors on both sides. They will first be deployed on a new line that crosses the city from south to north, including a long stretch on 7th Avenue, one of Bogota’s most emblematic. Once the hybrid buses replace the highly polluting minibuses which now serve 7th Avenue, the air quality in the area will improve significantly.
The zero emissions taxi pilot project plans to introduce 50 electric taxis. The first 12 taxis have already been officially presented by authorities and are expected to start operating in the next few weeks. Charging stations are being built in strategic locations, and the first one is already operating. Taxis generate the highest volume of GHG per passenger of all transportation modes, and Bogotá has more than 50,000 of them. The replacement of a significant number of gasoline or natural gas taxis by electric units would have a considerable impact on overall city pollution.
Although it was not taken into consideration for the awards, Bogotá is in the final planning stages for its first metro system. It is also planning to substantially expand the Transmilenio system. These two mega-projects will all but eliminate the highly polluting busetas from most of the city. If all of these projects are successfully implemented, the environmental situation in Bogotá will have improved dramatically. Let’s hope that it does.
Photo credit: Miguel Matus