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| Sunday, 7 September 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Easing urban traffic congestion : Bicycles - the eco-friendly alternative Over 200,000 vehicles enter the city of Colombo daily. All the space these vehicles have to use is 450 km of roadways including 50 km of trunk roads. The high air pollution levels within Colombo has resulted in a two per cent decline in the intelligence levels of children within the past decade. While the roadways are bulging with motor traffic, more and more vehicles are being imported.
Organisations who had been studying this dilemma of development in the developing countries have provided an answer. Bicycle. The "lightweight, steerable, two wheeled machine propelled by its rider, said to be the most effective means yet devised to convert human energy into propulsion" according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. While countries like Sri Lanka lag behind in using the bicycle, with derogative labels such as the 'poor man's vehicle' attached to the machine many developed countries especially those in the European Union have already reaped benefits in re-introducing the bicycle to the mainstream of transport. by Vimukthi Fernando What can a three to five feet separation on the road-network in a city do? A lot more than you and I may think. It had contributed to a 60 per cent reduction of fatal accidents in Yorkshire, England. The separation of a bicycle lane not only reduced fatal accidents but, had increased the bicycle ownership from 15 to 18 per cent between 1991 to 1993 and 1995 to 1998. This was revealed at a workshop to promote cycling as an environment friendly, healthy and affordable mode of transport, held recently in Colombo. Organised by the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) South Asia, in collaboration with Sevanatha Urban Resource Centre and Interface for Cycling Expertise (ICE) of the Netherlands, the workshop brought forth the findings of a study on urban transport systems, carried out in the Colombo, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Kurunegala municipality areas. In Sri Lanka though the bicycle is the most accessible vehicle, cyclists are the most neglected lot, when it comes to transport and highway systems, facilities and policies. The bicycle is the most common mode of transport in the rural sector, especially in the dry zone areas. Policy decisions However, even in those areas no bicycle lane can be seen in the newly
built highways. Even though plans had been drawn for bicycle lanes at the
designing stage, they had been abandoned citing difficulties in land
acquisition.
Cycling in urban areas is being given the least attention and priority. With the rapid increase of motorization, bicycle usage has declined in the past three decades in the urban sector. The influx of motorcycles in the early 1980s, and the three-wheelers in the late 1990s replaced the bicycle as an alternative mode of transport in urban and semi urban areas. Policy decisions such as incentives for import of motor vehicles and lack of policy in controlling motor vehicles discouraged or barred cycling from urban areas. Even the current policy of the government does not include a direct action programme other than the traffic management policy and road safety and discipline included in the 'Regaining Sri Lanka' and 'Poverty Reduction Strategy.' Though cycling is an effective and efficient mode of transport, safety issues stop people from using bicycles. Further, the bicycle becoming 'the poor man's vehicle' in the past few decades hinders usage due to the need for social recognition. However, cycling provides many benefits for the user as well as for the country in toto. It is a cost effective mode, which is reliable and time saving. Further, it is environment friendly - with less noise and no greenhouse gases. It is also healthy for the user and complementary with other public transport. It is best used for shorter length urban trips within the range of 5 to 10 kilometres. Could be used as a connectivity mode for long distance travellers and encouraged as a healthy mode of transport for school children. Bicycles which are relatively light and manoeuvrable could be used on narrow and rough paths and even through congested urban traffic. Bicycles in their many forms had been contributing in the rural as well as the urban sectors in improving the economic situation of the poor. Bicycle trailers, and carriages had been proven a success in Sri Lanka in both the rural and urban sectors. Cycle rickshaws are an integral part of urban transport in India and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka could gain much from re-introducing cycling to the urban areas. Providing necessary infrastructure such as cycle paths with connectivity to public transport centres and safe parking lots in public places would enhance the process. Cycle paths One way to achieve this would be to incorporate cycle paths with the present landscape action for city streets. The Road Development Authority had introduced cycle paths in their road improvement programmes near the University of Moratuwa and the Marine Drive from Mattakkuliya to Wellawatta. Traffic signs could also be employed, taking cyclists into consideration and giving them priority. Another area enhancing the use of bicycles is the introduction of safety measures for cyclists such as helmets and luminous jackets for users and reflecting tail lights for the bicycles. Providing scientific and technical training for mechanics on repairing and assembling of bicycles and awareness campaigns on traffic rules and regulations are also seen as suitable action to be taken at the operational level, augmenting the use of bicycles. At the policy level however, the removal of import duty on bicycles and spare parts is seen as a priority area in promoting the use of bicycles. Provision of safe parking places, integrating cycling into public transport, provision of cycling lanes in the road construction process and the introduction of credit and easy payment facilities are also important. Linking cycling with eco tourism, with the provision of cycle paths, bicycles and tour guides such as maps are additional ways in which cycling could be re-introduced in the urban as well as rural areas. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The cost of transport is sky rocketing. For Sri Lanka, a developing
country where vehicles, fuel and road building technologies are imported
the exchange rates have a significant impact on transport cost. Though the
fuel cost accounts for only 10-30 percent of the vehicle operational cost,
the additional cost to be paid in terms of traffic congestion, environment
pollution, ill-health and wastage of productive time, is heavy.
