Friday, August 17, 2012

State Proudly Hatching Traffic Frankenstein

By building a lot of roads worth several billions of our tax rupees. With the hope of reducing road congestion. This is unlikely to happen because traffic follows enlargement of road network literally in lockstep.

Will the LRT contemplated help? Not necessarily our best move. We could instead consider intermediate solutions like those implemented in Curitiba. Investing in buses of higher quality and fitting them with cameras would also enable travellers to enjoy the world's second best air quality in a more relaxed environment. Almost round-the-clock. And at the same time save the views that nature has made us famous for from a concrete invasion.

This will depend on thoughtful policy-making. Something that's been absent in Dodoland for several years. And which is too much to ask from the PMSD.

19 comments:

akagugo said...

This is how Temasek tamed its Frankenstein. Now you can start laughing.

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Common sense in the right doses to reflect local context.

akagugo said...

Free advice for exporting to China: why don't we export our 'world's second best' air quality, like this?

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Meet Taniya Ramsamy who says that we shouldn't ruin our beautiful views -- like those she experienced on the new Ebene-Terre Rouge road -- with billboards.

akagugo said...

Our local super-proud PM (and his acccomplice Anil) shold onder on why this road has engulfed two heavy vehicles already at the very same location...

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Yep, it should definitely pique the curiosity of those who own this particular responsibility.

akagugo said...

One of those who has ample experience of our local Franskenstein is bowing out. So, any chance his invaluable experience will be taken on board for designing for the future, or will we need foreign experts (preferably paid in hard currencies) for telling us what we already know?
I prefer to bet on our customary lack of planning compounded by lame short-term design to see more batt-batté like this...

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

We definitely need a combination of sharp knowledge and practical insights. People have been studying traffic for a super long time and 'laws' have been established since ages.

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Some common sense from Vasant Jogoo rightly arguing that we don't need the LRT right now: get more people to live in the cities where they work, buy 1,000 buses of the RHT variety and move administrative offices to a new city.

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Si pankor amenn zanfan get sa degaze.

akagugo said...

Not necessarily Singapore-oriented way of greening our cities: meet Vietnam!
And we'll get partly rid of the sootand what-not... Ah, just a reminder that we do have good air quality in Dodoland, generally. But like all urbanised areas which which have forgone decent green spaces to act a as buffers in the name of devlopma, we will breathe in spikes of particulate matter and noxious gases coming from traffic (especially slow or accelerating hard like at road intersections or congested round-abouts), bus stations, taxi stands, power stations, industrial zones relying on heavy fuel for power/steam generation... ah, all these conditions combined are all available aplenty in Dodoland: Port Louis, Rose Hill, Curepipe and the slow parts of Phoenix. I can't say more...

akagugo said...

So, are we intending to repair that ill-designed/ill-supervised/badly-constructed/damaged of a Terre Rouge-Verdun link thing any time soon? I'd propose to learn from bringing the Japanese in, instead of the Chinese...

akagugo said...

And take into consideration that our current killing machine needs to be adjusted to meet curent situations. Not just add billions-worth gems scattered in a puddle of needles.

Sanjay Jagatsingh said...

Bean-counter is proposing more roads and what looks like a stack dump from a WB report. He hasn't changed: pretty still totally clueless.

akagugo said...

If air pollution remains in your blood and urine 3 months after exposure, do what else do you need to be persuaded that diesel-fuelled engines need to be banned?

akagugo said...

There'll be one like this near Phoenix soon?

akagugo said...

The automotive and hydrocarbon-based industry in general are not paragons of virtue and ethics, but this one kills it big time.

akagugo said...

For those who need to get their mind cleared about the concrete mine-Apollo that will serve to embellish Phoenix soon...

akagugo said...

The link between air pollution and heart disease is now clearly established: the iron nano-particles represent a toxic mix that affects directly the heart, the lungs and the brain, causing a host of secondary complications ranging from diabetes, miscarriages and heart damage. What else do we need to be convinced that traffic-based or traffic-dependent devlopma should be reconsidered as a matter of priority.