This involves promoting public transport as well as walking and cycling, which usually requires substantial investment in infrastructure. For public transport to rival the private car it needs to be frequent, reliable, affordable and comfortable. Railways and waterways are generally greener methods of transporting freight, and shifting to them frees up road space.
3. Improving vehicle and fuel technology to reduce adverse environmental effects such as pollution and resource depletion.
Enhancing the fuel economy of conventional engines; reducing the weight of vehicles and developing alternatives such as electric and hybrid vehicles, biofuels, and hydrogen fuel technologies are all examples of this strategy.11
transport and therefore present opportunities for creating more sustainable transport systems than those in developed nations (see Table 2).
Enacting the Avoid, Shift and Improve strategy requires adequate investment in the research, development, production and operation/management of:
■ Infrastructure such as tracks for buses and rail, pavements and cycle routes and park-and-ride facilities;12
■ Greener vehicles and transport modes (including bicycles, public transport vehicles and low emission vehicles, utilising technologies listed in section 5.3);
Further efficiency gains
can be achieved through an improvement in the occupancy rate of vehicles, or through better driving (eco-driving).
Given that transport systems vary greatly around the world, it is important that the above three strategies are applied in ways which fully consider the context and main problems facing each region. Many developing countries are heavily reliant upon non-motorised
11. It is important that the generation of electricity, production of hydrogen and biofuels are all conducted in a sustainable manner.
■ Cleaner fuels; ■ Telecommunication technology
to
substitute
conventional transport, e.g. telework/ teleconferencing; and
■ Technologies to enact green transport, e.g. GPS systems, Intelligent Transport Systems, green logistics, etc.
The above would need to be supported by appropriate enabling conditions, which are explored in Section 5.
12. It is vital that such infrastructure promote connectivity between modes, so that journeys are made seamless.