Urban Transport needs of the poor: How to change current car-centric development in Asia Setting the stage

Presentation by Jitendra Shah with inputs from Many ACEF 23 June 2011

Overview
Why bother - Urbanization and Poverty Transport and poor Policy prescription options Improved project design ideas Discussion

Enormous Challenges
Beijing, 2010

Hyderabad, 2008
On the first day the new expressway was opened

Not only cars! HCMC, 2009

Mal-Asia: Motorization rate exceeding

infrastructure capacity

Urban poverty challenges Asia

With growth and urbanization, poverty also urbanizes
Over 240 million urban dwellers live on less than $1/ day in Asia Poverty has income, access and power dimensions The poor are most vulnerable to environmental problems and the effects of climate change Infrastructure delivery plays a key role in fighting urban poverty
Prevalence of slums in Asias cities (% of urban population)
45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 South Asia East Asia West Asia South-East Asia

Source: State of the world's cities 2008/2009

Urbanization rate almost doubling every 10 years!

Urban area in 1990

New urban areas from 1990 to 2000

Motorization in Asia, fastest growing in the world

1000
Japan Pakistan Singapore Bangladesh

100

Motorization Index Veh/1000 pop.

South Korea

Malaysia

Nepal

Srilanka

10

China

India

Indonesia

Thailand

Philippines

Vietnam

1 1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 GDP/capita (US$ 2000 PPP)

ADB estimates 2005, 2008, 2015

ADB Sustainable Transport Scenarios in Asian Cities

Cumulative Fuel Saving Potentials by 2030 (Passenger Transport )
BAU Scenario Moderate Scenario Progressive Scenario

11% ~ 36%

Source: ADB (2011)

Cumulative CO2 Emissions and Reduction Potentials

Unit: Million Kg

Source: ADB (2011)

Mode Split (%) in Asian Cities

City Walking NMvehicles Public Transport Private Transport

Bangkok (2005) Beijing Delhi Dhaka Jakarta

14 12 20 40 23

48 12 20 2

46 26 61 28 28

40 14 7 12 47

Metro Manila
Shanghai

12
31

3
33

42
25

43
11

Source: Bangkok data from World Bank (2007) Urban Transport Policy Directions and other cites from Table 1 in Module 7a Gender and Urban Transport Sustainable Transport Source Book (GTZ)

State of Footpaths in Asia

Good examples Beijing, Xian

The lack of adequate pedestrian infrastructure in Dhaka puts many at risk

Pictures worth a thousand breaths

Conflicting Pressures on Decision Makers

1. Motorization and Urbanization are realities and are engines of economic growth trumping other concerns. 2. Urban and Global Pollution from vehicles. 3. The problem will get complex in the future (e.g. fine PM, Ozone, Toxic VOC, etc.) 4. Congestion is threat to productivity, well being, quality of life and tourism 5. Local concerns and priorities must be identified and addressed through consultation 6. Promote Walking and Bicycling Culture keep it Safe

Growing Spillover Effects

Green House Gas Effect

GLOBAL Energy Security / Fuel Prices

Financial Liabilities Farmland Conversion

NATIONAL

Traffic Accidents LOCAL Air Pollution Traffic Congestion

Source: Ke Fang, World Bank

Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of motorized two-wheeler and their passengers) account for around 46% of global road traffic deaths. Each year over 75,000 ASEAN are killed in road accidents.

6% 46% 48%

Vulnerable road users*

Occupants of 4-wheeled motor vehicles Other

Source: ADB Transport Forum 2010, Presentation by EMBARQ

Transport and poor

Urban expansion is pushing poor to periphery disrupting livelihood, travel distances and costs Poor spend high percentage of income on transport Gradual banning of NMT modes (e. bicycles and cycle rickshaws) has a big impact on users and drivers Lack of cost-effective and viable NMT and public transport options can especially have an impact on low-income women Urban transport needs to integrate vendors Urban transport policies can focus specifically on meeting the needs of the poor Champion

Transport and poor

Transport costs and student enrolments for low-income families are directly related Information- baseline for travel time, costs, health impact, access to services education, health, jobs, impacts, - hard to find information & prove Car centric development and planning is not sustainable - needs to be made inclusive Those who decide dont walk and those who walk dont decide

The Insidious Link between Vehicular Pollution Public Health Climate and Urban Poor

Concerns: public health, fuel splurge and climate impacts Current policies not inclusive car centric 30-60% of travel are carbon neutral due to dominance of walking and cycling trips Exclusion of the poor from planning will enhance the magnitude of social and economic impacts of pollution Mainstreaming of transportation modes of urban poor can scale up solutions for the urban majority - Win Win Better policies - Governments impose higher taxes on buses compared to cars

Roadmap for inclusive mobility

Compact city - with increased density and policies for transit oriented development Need walking and cycling cities - Pedestrian Walkability and safety, integration of NMT with public transport, etc. Bus policy and integration for more inclusive planning - Ensure equitable distribution of road space Limit car infrastructure: Restricted car infrastructure in terms of wide roads and parking facilities Tax measures to fund public transport, nonmotorised and clean vehicles Eliminate subsidies for car owners recover externality Inclusive transport under the global climate regime Pay people who walk!

But density is not the only key factor. high density = high transit modal share?
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

Modal share by public transport for commuting to the central city

Beijing/2009

London/2001

New York/2010

Sources: Ke Fang Beijing: BTRC, Annual Report on Transport in Beijing, 2010., London: National Census 2001 +City of London New York: New York Census, 2010.

Street Functions & Influences

Functions: Walking Waiting Utilities Parking Loading/ unloading Greening Vending Traffic movement Access to property Key influences: LGs issue permits for vendors, footpath provision, maintenance, cleansing Police vehicle use & parking on streets & footpaths Utility agencies Adjacent property owners Informal & formal rent

private space

Summary: Improve Project Design

Identify and Respond to needs not just from policy makers When Governments invests in Metros / BRTs - Commensurate investments should also be made in modes of transport for poor they are politically weak to influence investment decisions for walkways, cycle paths and low costs para-transit Respond to public, increased welfare with low-cost measures
drainage system, public toilet, benches, trash bins, and trees Design - Isolate vehicles from pedestrians to guarantee safety, signals Implementation of rules polluting, overloaded, speeding vehicles

Avoid foot over bridges make cars go on flyovers Good public transport is essential and central to SUT but it also needs to be inclusive Alignment of agendas local and global Raise awareness and Create demand for change politicians will follow

For More Information

Jitendra Jitu Shah jshah@adb.org