Investment in safe clean transport needed to reduce road crash deaths, says World Bank
A new report from the World Bank states there is a “a strong financial case for increasing investments in safe and clean road transport”. Transport for Health, published jointly with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, shows that deaths caused by motorised road transport globally now exceed those from HIV, TB or malaria, with crashes accounting for more than 90 per cent of them. In addition, injuries and illness are undermining economic...
Read MoreRoad deaths are a global epidemic. Quality Public Transport is one of the cures.
Quality public transport systems and services are vital not only to make cities of the future more liveable and sustainable, and to enable the poorest as well as the richest citizens to access the jobs, markets and services they need. There is growing awareness that quality public transport is also literally a matter of life and death. As an article published today in The Guardian reminds us, 1.2 million people die and up to 50 million are injured in traffic accidents annually, nearly half...
Read MoreQuality public transport starts with pedestrians!
Quality transport services need to be part of quality public transport systems if they are to provide for the needs of all. And a quality transport system starts from the fact that every journey begins on foot (or the equivalent, in the case of people with walking disabilities). So it’s great news that a city as closely identified with motorised transport as Mumbai is including Road Safety Audits in its transport planning. The Sustainable Cities Collective website reports: “As part...
Read MoreUrban designers improve conditions for pedestrians In Istanbul
A Turkish group specializing in urban design has presented its dream to make Istanbul a city better suited to pedestrians. The group, TAG Platforms, wants the city “designed with pedestrian-ways”, in which “cars will be prevented from parking on pedestrian-ways, there will be an increase in wheelchair access, and the removal of obstructions from established pedestrian-ways.” Major obstacles include a lack of many car-free zones; few traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossings; and a...
Read More‘War on motorists’ is a ‘myth’, says new British report
Public transport fares in Britain have risen in real terms over the last ten years, while private motoring costs have fallen, according to a new report new report from a leading British think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Concluding that the claims made by the private car lobby that there has been a ‘war on motorists’ are based on a myth, the report recommends increased government investment to improve public transport, cycling and walking facilities. “Over the...
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