15 January 2000 Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (SUSTRAN) Dr A. Rahman Paul BARTER P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia. TEL/FAX: +60 3 2274 2590 E-mail: sustran@po.jaring.my Web: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2853/ CONTENTS
1. WANTED: STORIES OF POSITIVE CHANGE Do you know any stories of how positive change has come about in transport? The SUSTRAN Network is keen to share such stories with our readers. Don't be shy - we are interested in large-scale or small-scale examples; big successes or small ones. We especially want to hear from low-income and middle-income countries. Please also share the human dimension - the STORY not just the bare facts. Who was involved in making the difference? Your story, however humble it may be, could inspire others around the word. All comments, suggestions and contributions from readers are always most welcome. Such contributions make this News Flash service possible. 2. PROFILE: THE AFRIBIKE PROJECT One such story is the fledgling Afribike Project in South Africa which is demonstrating the potential of bicycles to improve lives and livelihoods in the townships. Bicycles had been rare in the townships. In December 1998, ITDP and Re~Cycle helped the Afrika Cultural Centre (ACC)to set up the Afribike workshop in Johannesburg. Bicycles donated in the UK and USA are being refurbished and made available to low-income cyclists. Classes in bicycle operation, maintenance and repair are taught to teens and adults. Inexpensive load-carrying workbikes are fabricated from used bicycles under the supervision of Soni (Sam) Maswanganyi, the Afribike head mechanic and Soweto bicycle enthusiast extraordinaire. The Gauteng Self-Employed Women's Association were the first group to take the course. For a detailed account of the on-going project and the people behind it see the web sites of either Re-Cycle or the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). [Contacts: AFRIBIKE, PO Box 13244 Hatfield 0028, South Africa. Tel. +27 11 482 5990, Fax. +27 11 482 4723, Email. afribike@mweb.co.za; RE~CYCLE ("Relieving Poverty - Taking Old Bikes to New Territory") 60 High Street, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8JE, UK. Email: info@re-cycle.org, URL: http:// www.re-cycle.org; INSTITUTE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY (ITDP), 115 W. 30th Street, Suite 1205, New York, NY 10001 USA. Email: mobility@igc.apc.org, URL: http://www.itdp.org] 3. TWO-STROKES IN THAILAND DOOMED BY POLLUTION REGULATIONS Thailand is to begin to apply new and tougher emission standards on motorcycle manufacturers next year. These will almost certainly have the effect of phasing out two-stroke engine motorcycles. The new regulations will make it impossible both "technically and economically" to manufacture two-stroke motorcycle engines which emit white exhaust fumes that are more hazardous than those from four-stroke engines. The current standard sets the maximum level of carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaust pipe emissions at 13 grams/kilometre, and at 5g/km for hydrocarbon (HC). The new standard reduces allowable CO emissions to 4.5 g/km and HC emissions to 3 g/km. However, technically hydrocarbon emissions from two-stroke engines can only be reduced to 3g/km, while emissions from four-stroke engines can be lowered to 0.8-1 g/km. Even the current standard, in place since 1994, is already tough for two-stroke motorcycles to pass. [Source: forwarded by a SUSTRAN Network participant based on an article in the Bangkok Post, 17 December 1999] 4. INDONESIAN CONSUMERS' ORGANISATION PROVIDES TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS POSTS The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (or Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia - YLKI) organised "Complaints Posts" at each of the main bus and train stations in Jakarta during the recent Muslim Festive season (Aidilfitri) when millions of Indonesians flood back to their home villages. The posts operated for 9 days (1 to 9 January) and received complaints from the public about the safety, comfort, service, etc. of transport services. The volunteers at the posts also provided advocacy materials about making transport safer and more humane. [Contact: Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia (YLKI), Jl. Pancoran Barat VII/1, Duren Tiga, Jakarta Selatan 12760, Indonesia. Phone: 62-21-7981858, 7981859, Fax: 62-21-7981038, e-mail: konsumen@rad.net.id] 5. POLLUTION HIGHLIGHTED AT DELHI AUTO EXPO Among the glitzy cars at the annual auto expo held in New Delhi the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) placed a shocking exhibition on air pollution in India's cities. CSE has found that during the period 1975-1995 during which the Indian economy grew by about 2.5 times, the total quantity of pollutants increased by eight times. CSE's press release is at: http://www.oneworld.org/cse/html/au/au4_20000113.htm [Contact: 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi 110 062, India. Fax: +91-11-698 5879, Email: webadmin@cseindia.org, URL: http://www.cseindia.org] 6. CHILDREN THREATENED BY AIR POLLUTION The World Resources Institute (WRI) has produced a report stating that millions of the worlds' children are being exposed to high concentrations of air pollution. Children living in large cities, especially in developing countries, are facing exposure to air pollution levels that are two to eight times higher than the maximum exposure levels set by the World Health Organisation. Due to these pollution levels, more than 80% of deaths related to respiratory diseases occurring in developing nations, occur among children under the age of five. The WRI has also highlighted the need for stricter standards, with more efficient use of energy, stricter standards for vehicles, and better traffic management. The WRI's "Urban Air Pollution Risks to Children: A Global Environmental Health Indicator", is available via the WRI web site: http://www.wri.org [Source: Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain - http://www.acidrain.org] 7. HO CHI MINH CITY EXPRESSWAY LOAN FROM JAPAN Ho Chi Minh City plans to build a 21.4km-long, 6-lane, east-west highway. The Japan International Co-operation Bank (JICB) has agreed to provide loans for the project which will link National Highway 1 to Tran Van Kieu Street, Chuong Duong Wharf, and the Thu Thiem Tunnel to be built under the Sai Gon River and join up with the Hanoi Highway in District 2. It is estimated that about 5,214 houses will have to be demolished for the project. [Sources: VNA, forwarded from VNForum by a keen sustran-discuss member]. 8. CAR-FREE SUNDAYS IN ITALIAN CITY CENTRES Beginning on February 6, fourteen Italian cities, including Rome, Florence and Milan, are to ban cars from their city centres every Sunday. This follows a successful trial last September which dramatically lowered pollution levels. Public transport will be made more frequent on Sundays to compensate. Cities joined the experiment on a voluntary basis but the national Government has provided financial incentives to those that join the scheme. [Source: newsgroups]. 9. RESOURCES CAR BUSTERS Magazine. One year subscriptions US$17.5 [Contact: PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS FOR CAR BUSTERS MAGAZINE AND RESOURCE CENTRE, Kratka 26, 100 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic. Tel: +(420) 2-781-08-49 ; Fax: +(420) 2-781-67-27, Email: carbusters@ecn.cz, URL: http://www.antenna.nl/eyfa/cb] SEVERAL RESOURCES FROM UITP - International Association of Public Transport, Avenue Herrmann-Debroux 17, B-1160 Brussels, Belgium, Tel +32 2 673 6100 - Fax +32 2 660 1072, E-mail: administration@uitp.com, URL: http://www.uitp.com]
Two new Transport and the Economy supporting reports from the UK's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment (SACTRA) have been published and made available in pdf (Acrobat) format on the web at http://www.roads.detr.gov.uk/roadnetwork/sactra/support99/
Faiz, A. et al. 1996. "Air pollution from motor vehicles: standards and technologies for controlling emissions". Washington, DC: World Bank. (Lists recent and forthcoming, emission standards in several countries). The Tramways of Brazil: A 130 - Year Survey by Allen Morrison. New York: Bonde Press, 1989. ISBN 0-9622348-1-8. The entire text is on the web at: http://members.aol.com/tranviario/01.html 10. INTERNET RESOURCES
11. EVENTS
12. LIGHTER SIDE A quick solution to pedestrians' problems crossing the road? How about a roll-up zebra crossing that you can carry around with you! See pictures at http://info.pitt.edu/~ctnst3/chindogu/chin10.html
Written and compiled by A.R. Paul Barter. There are currently 442 direct subscribers to the SUSTRAN News Flash service. The Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) promotes and popularises people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on Asia and the Pacific We rely on you, the participants in the network, for our news. Thank you to everyone who has sent material. Please keep it coming. We welcome brief news and announcements from all over the world.
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