People - friendly public transport system on the cards

by Lalin Fernandopulle

The Ministry of Transport has drawn up a master plan to develop an effective and people-friendly public transport system which would provide economic benefit to the country, Transport Ministry Secretary Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said.He said the bottom line is to promote a transport system which is environment-friendly, accessible and affordable to commuters.

Ssustainable transportation cannot exist without a proper public transport system. Promoting private transport is not a viable solution as more vehicles are on roads, causing congestion and pollution. More private vehicles means more fuel, draining foreign exchange.

The Asian Development Bank in a recent report said that Asian countries need to look beyond transport systems based on private vehicles if they hope to keep their cities clean, efficient and prosperous. “Sustainable transport cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul, New York, London, or Paris have a high share - around 80 % of public transport, walking and cycling. This is the kind of target all cities should aim at," the report said.

“A bus could transport around 40 passengers and a train around 300-400 commuters with better fuel efficiency than a private car.

Having more highways is not a solution as it will attract more vehicles that would create more pollution,” Dr. Gunaruwan said.

India and Japan have built a vibrant rail transport and South Korea has gone for alternatives such as bicycles and car sharing and doing away with urban expressways to improve the environment.

“The Ministry is conducting feasibility studies to launch the Bus Rapid Transit system in urban areas to enhance efficiency in transport.

The 60 percent public and 40 percent private transport composite has to be maintained. Currently there are more private buses in operation than SLTB buses,” Dr. Gunaruwan said.

The shoddy and deplorable state of public transport has been a constant complaint among commuters whose plea for an efficient transport system falls on deaf ears. Overcrowding and harassment of passengers is the norm in public transportation.

"We need to encourage people to use bus and railway transport. Policy measures to address fuel prices, route costs, quality of vehicles, standard of fuel and shift to electrical vehicles are vital.

The master plan includes measures for electrification and widening railways, urban railway development,” Dr. Gunaruwan said.

Transportation experts said, "Even after 150 years of rail transport we have failed to set up a manufacturing base. We continue to import railway equipment at exorbitant cost. What has changed is only the signal system."

The Ministry focuses on niche areas such as long distance express passenger service, freight transport and suburban commuter service. Plans are afoot to setup inland container depots to minimise congestion.

“There is a negative perception regarding rail transport. It is blamed for each and everything. Unlike road transport railway has a large expenditure on maintenance,” Dr. Gunaruwan said.

Transportation experts said that building modern, sustainable transport systems will help address the epidemic of road deaths. The number of road fatalities is on the rise. Unroadworthy vehicles should be banned.

About 3,000 people and 500 children are killed daily around the world as a result of road traffic-related injuries. Over 85% of these casualties occur in low and middle-income countries.

Road traffic injury is the leading cause of death for children and young people in Asia and the Pacific, according to the ADB.

It said that sustainable transport helps in poverty reduction by providing greater access to markets and basic services, such as schools and health centres, at an affordable cost.

The use of inland waterways has been proposed as a means to increase sustainable transport in Asian cities.