Monday, October 24, 2016

Car ownership a sign of failure, not success

Malay Mail Online: "An overly high vehicle ownership is by no means an indication of prosperity but a consequence of failed planning. The ultimate result of low public transport take-up and an excessive abundance of private cars is the nightmarish traffic snarls along our roads and highways, resulting in unnecessary time, resource and economic losses.

The most pressing task for the government is to decisively improve our existing public transportation. To the commuters, a prerequisite for all public transit systems is fast and convenient services.

Simply put, no one would want to waste lots of time changing trains or buses to reach their final destinations. In other words, the government must expand not only the network coverage but also improve connectivity among the different modes and systems.

Secondly, public transport fares must be affordable. If we have to spend as much money taking public transit as to pay for car mortgages, many will then opt for the latter given the added convenience."

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Jakartans lack access to decent public transportation

The Jakarta Post: "The report surveyed megacities and satellite cities and showed that Paris received a perfect score (100 percent), followed by Barcelona (99 percent) and Madrid (92 percent). Cities at the bottom included Washington D.C. (57 percent), Beijing (60 percent) and Jakarta (44 percent). But when the survey included the metropolitan area Paris score dropped to 50 percent, Barcelona to 76 percent and greater Jakarta 16 percent.

“The PNT metric illustrates how unplanned urban and suburban growth focuses on automobiles and only those who can afford to drive,” said Clayton Lane, the chief executive officer of ITDP."

Saturday, October 15, 2016

DAP MPs: Tax exemption for carbuyers against pro-public transport policy

Malay Mail Online: "“This kind of one-off measure is not only irresponsible but also sends a wrong signal for a government that is trying to increase the usage of public transportation,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted."