Dear All
Please check the site below and post your comment as group discussion
http://www.sustainablesites.org
A maximum bonus mark of (10) is allocated to students while participating in the discussion.
This will save you on the next assignment.
Best of Luck
Roshan Seebundhun, Architect
Increases in traffic congestion have resulted in an increase in pollution for cities and surrounding communities and an increase in time loss and inefficiency to drivers. The costs of traffic congestion are often not borne by those who cause it. As more cars enter roadways, triggering intensified environmental impacts, the need to apply corrective measures in heavily congested areas becomes more necessary:
ReplyDeleteDiscuss (10 marks)
It is indeed an unstoppable phenomenon happening nowadays. More than eliminating it, an alternative should be found to remedy the existent situation.Instead paid parking (at very fair cost with security) must be created to give people the assurance to keep their vehicle safely. For example at EBENE, the amount traffic entering this zone per day can be sorted through paid parking. It can also be declared as non-traffic area. However a common transport should be at the service of these people. The frequency at which the common bus or another mean is available, should be high. The parking fare must also include the journey throuhout the restricted area.
ReplyDeleteAs my frd said earlier it's indeed an unstoppable phenomenon that is growing day by day. We see that nowadays it is becoming a'MARI PROBLEM'in mauritius specially when u going to port louis.
ReplyDeleteAs i far i know,been a frequent travller to port louis, the main congestion time as in the morning and the afternoon.
But nowadays we can see that there is no a specific time that you are blocked in traffic while going to port louis.This therfore results in people losing munch time in traffic which directly affect the productivity in the country, thus affecting the economy.
Since last decades several gouvernmnets have come across with several projects to reduce congestion. But helas till now no solution has been found till now.
The present gouvernment has come with projet such as RING ROAD AND DREAM BRIDGE which are schedule to start in the following months.
but one thing ws should bear in mind is that if ever it happens that even after injecting huge amt of money in thes projects, it does not help to decongest the roads of mauritus, what are the alternative solution??!!!
What i would suggest is that since port louis is the source of these prob, a toll tax system should be apply so as to discourage people taking their car the centre, thus decreasing the number of vehicles like in LONDON.
Another solution would be to introduce tramways in mauritius, its a highly sustainable alternative, since it is energy efficient, low environment impact, i.e, no CO2 emission, fast. But the main problem with this solution is to know if people would pe willing to pay a high fare to reach p-louis.
I thk the best alternative would be to delocalise port louis completely of all the economical activities as it is being partly in Ebene, where most private sectors companies are moving to ebene.
Then i think we might see a change concerning that problem
well sir..it's me chetan that posted the following comments, i thk there is a prob with the internet.
ReplyDeleteAs my frd said earlier it's indeed an unstoppable phenomenon that is growing day by day. We see that nowadays it is becoming a'MARI PROBLEM'in mauritius specially when u going to port louis.
ReplyDeleteAs i far i know,been a frequent travller to port louis, the main congestion time as in the morning and the afternoon.
But nowadays we can see that there is no a specific time that you are blocked in traffic while going to port louis.This therfore results in people losing munch time in traffic which directly affect the productivity in the country, thus affecting the economy.
Since last decades several gouvernmnets have come across with several projects to reduce congestion. But helas till now no solution has been found till now.
The present gouvernment has come with projet such as RING ROAD AND DREAM BRIDGE which are schedule to start in the following months.
but one thing ws should bear in mind is that if ever it happens that even after injecting huge amt of money in thes projects, it does not help to decongest the roads of mauritus, what are the alternative solution??!!!
What i would suggest is that since port louis is the source of these prob, a toll tax system should be apply so as to discourage people taking their car the centre, thus decreasing the number of vehicles like in LONDON.
Another solution would be to introduce tramways in mauritius, its a highly sustainable alternative, since it is energy efficient, low environment impact, i.e, no CO2 emission, fast. But the main problem with this solution is to know if people would pe willing to pay a high fare to reach p-louis.
I thk the best alternative would be to delocalise port louis completely of all the economical activities as it is being partly in Ebene, where most private sectors companies are moving to ebene.
Then i think we might see a change concerning that problem
one suggestion that i forgot to mention earlier is to improve our public transport system.This can be achieved by upgrading the service provided by the public transport,i.e, to buy new types of buses which are very comfortable and also to introduce a sort of bus lane.At the bus station, secured parking facilities could be provided for people taking the bus.
ReplyDeleteThen i think that people might choose the public transport instead of using their personal car.
Its a feeling that the decrease in traffic would in fact improve the image of the City Center , with pedestrian avenues and remote car parks thus increasing sales to tourists. We have an example in Mauritius; Just imagine that part of SSR Road in Port Louis was declared pedestrian and have many trees and Kiosk in the middle with refreshments...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIndividuals are seeing a decrease in travel time, as well as improvements in public transportation, making travel and commuting into and within City Center increasingly more efficient. We need to increase efficiency of travel under the right conditions. Congestion charge is a good example where funds obtained can be injected in modern and efficient transportation like in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, etc
ReplyDeleteCongestion can be reduced by either increasing road capacity, or by reducing traffic
ReplyDeleteIn Mauritius, the starting time of work, start of activities(business and schools) i.e 7am to 9 am applies to 95% of the population. This is the period during which people displaces via public transport or their own means. With the liberization of time of work and activities, I believe that it would create a huge impact on the movement of traffic.
ReplyDeletePeople will have different time for their start of work and everyone won't have to attend office in the morning and their time of work will be scheduled differently. Since most people wont travel at the same time, I believe that this measure could reduce traffic congestion.
Today in our modern era, Traffic Congestion is indeed a great woes in Mauritius. This problem is increasing gradually year after year. Therefore, in order to solve partially this matter, we need to find alternative solutions as quickly as possible. Moreover, we need to implement tramways and tubes in Mauritius and should limit the number of vehicles circulating in towns in peak hours. The use of solar and electric carpooling and van pooling may be used to eradicate this problem. Decentralization should be done in Port-Louis...People may work from home to reduce traffic. The reduction in traffic will indeed reduce the emission of toxic gases to the atmosphere so as to have pollution free country. we need to provide sustainable developments amongst others to be able to cope with this huge problem in our island.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion a road with piling system must be built along the sea side so that people can be moving from the north to the south easily like in Cape Town.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, buildings in Port Louis can be placing solar panels so that electricity can be generated as the weather is almost shiny there.
Moreover, TGV can be placed from Ebene to Port Louis which can be good also .It can be working with electricity.
Krishna
To bring more about sustainable development canopy trees can be planted in some region of Port Louis as they can block up to 90% of solar radiation these energies can be converted to energy which can be used for lighting and other
ReplyDeleteuses which are not polluted.
Moreover,it cut air conditioning energy needs by 10%-50% and moreover it is not costy.
hey krishna how come you using my name to send over yr comments on the blog??!!!
ReplyDeletebecause the one before uvirkrishna, was nt posted by me. so how comes my name apears??
n at last you wrote krishna.
Traffic congestion is indeed a problem,2/3 of petrol we import is channeled to vehicles on our roads now.
ReplyDeleteThis fact proves that the amount of vehicles is enough large in Mauritian roads,being a regular traveler from Goodlands to Petite Riviere,everyday i come across this problem and i have noticed that people going to work to Port Louis go alone in their car.
So if there are 50 owners of car in Goodlands going to work to P.Louis everyday it makes 50 cars going to P.Louis where in contrast it could be such that these people travel in only one single bus,it is a considerable reduction of amount of vehicles on our roads,but nowadays everyone is willing to have his own car and travel in it.
Singapore is among the smallest country of the world,every inhabitant there has a minimum of two cars but they never get the problem of traffic congestion because if a person there enters a town alone in his car pays a tax but if he has passengers with him he does not pay any tax.
We can apply this as well in Mauritius but its the Mauritian mentality that must change.
To Chetan.purang
ReplyDeleteI think it has been a confusion we have been using the same account of QS 1.Don't worry I have already created a new account now.
Krishna
Invasive non-native plants displace natives important to the ecology balance of an area.
ReplyDeleteMoreover it does not need pesticides.If planted there will not be soil contamination and hence there will be no Eutrophication in rivers.
Furthermore,with development we can be planting vegetations which provide mental and physical health benefits.
I found everybody is discussing on Port Louis only .Move out there are other places that can be discussed.
New buildings can be built as follow in new regions of Mauritius
ReplyDeleteBuildings with exterior concrete walls, also called mass walls, utilize less energy to heat and cool than similarly insulated buildings with wood or steel frame walls. Over the course of a day, building systems respond to changing conditions in outside air temperature, occupant and equipment activity, and incident solar energy. A building with thermal mass has the capacity to store warmth or cold and:
* Moderate indoor temperature fluctuations
*
Slow the transfer of heat through the building envelope
*
Store energy and shift peak energy requirements
Energy savings due to thermal mass is dependent on climate. In some climates, thermal mass buildings have better thermal performance than low mass buildings, regardless of the level of insulation in the low mass building. Mass has the greatest benefit in climates with large daily temperature fluctuations above and below the balance point of the building (55 to 65°F
New lanes can be built to separate the heavy vehicles and cars moving on the road every day.
ReplyDeleteHence this can reduce the time spent on roads .
Today many people who are owners of cars go to work towards the South but they can be traveling by buses . Hence reducing the amount of carbon dioxide as this gas is not producing only green house effect but also a decrease in temperature.
ReplyDeleteThis can also reduce the traffic jam.Moreover, today buses have air cones which is another problem.Therefore taxes systems must be enforced for these vehicles.
Moreover I think that where there are regions like Ebene and other places where there is business activities large parking areas must be created and people can be parking their vehicles. Hence they can be moving to their respective place of works.This can decrease the traffic jams.
ReplyDeleteNow on the point of pollution today technology has created new things like catalytic convertor
ReplyDeletewhich works up the co2 emmited from vehicles.
Biofuels can also be used for vehicles.
Measures that can be taken are:
ReplyDelete1) Vehicles producing dark smokes must have contravention.
2) New created parkings must be paid per hour.
3) Non pullantant fuels must be used that are green.
Now seeing the situation of Mauritius taffic problems people must also start to make a move as they can leave for job early in the morning
ReplyDeletewhen there will be less vehicles on road
Any congestion still remaining will be eliminated by use of congestion pricing. This means charging for road use an amount that varies so that traffic is kept moving.As rush hour approaches, the price increases in stages in order to keep total cars using the facility at the same optimal flow level. The money raised could be used to build guide way transit because road users also benefit by paying for potential motorists to use alternatives. Congestion pricing also increases highway capacity while reducing political pressure for more highway construction.
ReplyDeleteIf any new lane or road is constructed, use non-stop toll collection (we call them "road fares") to pay for it. All moneys for the new lane or road needs to be paid for by its direct users and preferably privately financed to guaranty that there would be no government subsidy.
ReplyDeleteTraffic congestion is indeed a very big problem that impacts on almost road users nowadays.Also, one of the government's top priority is to reduce traffic congestion in key areas and they are ready to pump in enormous sum of money in mega projects in order to succeed.But will the contruction of new roads or highways alleviate the problem or will more roads create more traffic?Also, environmental and other impacts are introduced by road building
ReplyDeleteand traffic congestion.So, it is essential to address sustainability in the field of transportation.Another impact from building a roadway may be a change in regional landscape patterns that
results in the fragmentation of surrounding wildlife habitats.
Traffic is the movement of people and goods, while congestion occurs when traffic
volumes exceed roadway capacities.Sustainable transportation may be defined as transport of people and goods where:
• the majority of citizens should be able to conveniently meet most of their local needs by
foot, cycle and public transport,
• public transport services sufficient to meet these needs are available and affordable,
• longer distance journeys between urban centers are adequately served by public transport,
• those journeys which go by private transport, pay their full economic and environmental
costs, and
• the capacity and management of the road system is in balance with the demand for
highway capacity with full social cost pricing.
Noticeably, construction of new roadways does not fit into this sustainability definition, at least
not without full social and environmental pricing. Yet a common and enduring response to alleviating urban transportation congestion is to build new highways without integrating full
ecological costs.
However, there are mitigating strategies to reduce
dependencies on road building, diminish congestion, encourage sustainable transportation, and
promote mobility across the social spectrum. The American Society of Civil Engineers (2004)
classifies these strategies in six categories:
1. Reducing private vehicle use (i.e., car sharing, fuel taxes),
2. Improving public transportation,
3. Improving transport options for the public (i.e., non-motorized options like bicycles),
4. Using innovative land use strategies to reduce travel demand (i.e., transport-oriented
development),
5. Reducing vehicle emissions and fuel consumption, and
6. Using integrated approaches that combine multiple strategies.
Undoubtedly, the world’s environment and people are impacted by road building and congestion.
Road building has tremendous impacts on natural resources and communities across large geographic ranges. Many large cities are tasked with designing or altering their transportation networks to accommodate unchecked population growth. Private vehicle use is now becoming the unrivalled transportation mode choice across the globe.As standards of living improve, especially in developing countries, more personal transportation is added to the roadways. Transportation mode and income level fluctuations vary greatly between cities, based in part on available infrastructure; however, populations with lower income generally take public transit, while higher-income populations take trips in personal vehicles. Due to this influx of vehicular traffic, some urban areas may rely upon road building as a fix, albeit a temporary one. Others may invest heavily in rail, pedestrian, or cyclist facilities. Local
ReplyDeleteofficials, public administrators, and engineers must collaborate to find a suitable assortment of
sustainable transportation solutions.
Road building and congestion influence the environment in many ways, and both have local,
regional, and global consequences. These effects generally center on natural resource
consumption, environmental impacts, and social-economic impacts. For instance, making urban
sustainability a goal in the transportation domain requires an evaluation of natural resource
consumption. The impact on natural resources, renewable or non-renewable, is a function of
population, affluence, and technological resources. Individuals have more
control over limiting consumption than they do over population or technology.
-It is a common sight to see vehicles breaking down on the road that create congestions, other emitting a lot of exhaust gases ( air pollution). There are some vehicle that has some defective brake system, tyres and faulty engines.
ReplyDeleteSolution:
Such vehicle should be declared unworthy for the road.
-Our roads are a legacy from the colonial era and thus there is still a lot to be done to make them more practicable to avoid congestion. Most of the roads are strait, full of curves and ups and downs.
Solution:
More roads to be constructed and old roads to be renewed and widened.
-Due to the prospect and problems of transporting passengers from one place to another, Light Rail (metro-leger) can be introduced in our transport system which causes no pollution at all.
-Moreover, places that are easily congested should be decentrialised. Ex: The Vehicle Examination Centre and other to be decentrialised to avoid congestion.
- The use of computers to carry out official work.
Ex: There is no need to use a vehicle to go Port-Louis. Instead it can be done remaining at home. Time is spared, money for travel, no use of non-renewable energy, less paperwork etc..
-Build pedestrian lanes and cycle lanes for nearby activity. Bicycle storage can be provided.
-There should be trees lining the roads and wherever possible road dividers can have grass grown on them. The place itself should have as much as greenery as possible.
-In order to improve the current situation of transport, there should be better means of public transport and other private means to give comfort, cheapness, and security. Then about what size and shape of buses will be neccessary by the unforeseeable future for the enormous population increase which has to be satisfied.
If improvements are not brought about urgently, sooner or later the situation will become chaotic which may hamper not only normal travelling but also economic activities with serious consequences.
To encourage people to use cycle or to walk to the place of work, alternatives should be provided to them.For instance,an increase in salary with no transport facility (cars) OR simply low salary with transport facility , can be provided to them. Money is always a factor, they will choose the first alternative that has been offered.
ReplyDeleteMauritius and many other governments worldwide are facing a major headache in the form of traffic congestions. Mauritius, too, need to look to those countries which has successfully dealt with the problem despite having a greater number of population for e.g. Singapore. There are many solutions to this problem and they are being exploited by my dear friends. But one thing is that we should choose the correct measures which will suit us. Also, instead of looking for immediate solutions, we should first take a lokk at the current situation, i.e. to identify where the current transport system and traffic management have failed and what adequate measures we can take and from thereon we can improve by suggesting appropriate solutions,taking into consideration of how far can it be good for the traffic at present and for the future, the cost and economy of the solutions being proposed and also the environmental impact that new solutions will have.
ReplyDeleteThe traffic congestion in Mauritius is mainly caused due to namely:
(1)Too many vehicles for a small population.
(2)Bad planning especially town planning in the past for e.g. very narrow raods which has a two - way.
(3)Poor maintainance of road infrastructures such as roads,road markings, signs etc.
(4)Poor services offered by public transport.
IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Transport has a key role to play in the development of any country as it facilitates access to jobs, education, markets, leisure and other services. With rapid industrialization, Mauritius too has experienced a drastic increase in the number of motor vehicles, thus aggravating the traffic congestion problem. This continuing increase in volume of transport is leading to consequential impacts on the environment, especially in terms of vehicular emissions, noise pollution and generation of waste oil. A number of actions are being taken by the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit to reduce these impacts on the environment.
In Mauritius, the transport sector is the heaviest energy consumer, accounting for 48% of total energy imports.
Pollutions caused by Traffic congestions are:
(1)Air pollution.
Air pollution is caued due to the emission of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and also unburnt fuel; by verhicles. This can lead to many respiratory problems, lung cancer and many others.
(2)Noise pollution
Noise pollution is caused by vehicles and very unpleasant and traffic congestion cn only aggravate the situation. For e.g. conurban regions such as Plaine Lauzan, Pailles, Terre Rouge, etc.
IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY
As we all know that in the business language, TIME IS MONEY!!! Traffic congestion is a major cost and inconvenience for many businesses and companies, particularly those whose activities demand high levels of transport per unit of production. Regular exposures to traffic congestion affect health and therefore work performance. Therefore, traffic congestion has a negative impact on the economy of the country.
Now we know what's the problem is and from here we can ponder on different solutions that can be suggested to overcome the problem of traffic congestion. A solution which will be economical and sustainable for Mauritius
Indeed traffic congestion is a big problem here, mainly going down to the capital every morning or the reverse way in the afternoon.I think the main problem is at round about like phoneix & caudan.i will suggest to built fly over there, people who wish to go to the north can go directly through the fly overs, thus escaping the trafic jam below.
ReplyDeleteDecentralisation also can ease the trafic, all the government offices can be spread all over the country in region such as highlands or even rose belle.
Should we walk instead? !!! How about infrastructure re-engineering !!!
ReplyDeleteit depends how far we have to walk
ReplyDeleteWalking has never been an option till now!I think the government of Mauritius should come up with real measures like,for example if someone resides at least three kilometers from his place of work,he should not be allowed by law to travel to work with a privately owned motor vehicle!He should instead use the public transport provided or bicycle or walking if he prefers.This kind of initiative will definitely benefit in a reduction of traffic congestion at peak hours.Less cars on the road will result in a less congestion situation.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand motor vehicle users should bear their owncost for adding CO2 to the atmosphere.Toll gates should be implemented at the entrances of the capital.An environment protection fee should be imposed on motorists together with the toll fee that must be paid when entering or leaving the city.
The government should set up and provide efficient and reliable means of public transport if it really wants a traffic decongestion to happen.Metro light rails should be introduced to and from the city center to other cities.Major and sub stations should be built at key and designated places in the cities for passengers.This will encourage people to use the public transport more as it is fast and comfortable and reliable.Also,there will be less CO2 emissions as the number of vehicles will be reduced.
I think that the government shall be more concise and environment friendly when thinking about solving the traffic congestion problem.More roads will simply result in more traffic.Instead more viable,sustainable and eco-friendly solutions should be proposed as developped nations such as Holland and England has done for example.
As i discussed earlier the causes, failures of the actual system and the impacts on environment, now we can suggest ideas and plans how we can improve and decrease traffic congestions.
ReplyDeleteBut before starting proposing any ideas to solve traffic congestions, we must recognise the constraints that exist in Mauritius for e.g.:
(1)Finance; the government alone would not be able to fund big projects such as the introduction of trains. So the help from the private sector will be much more than appreciated.
(2)Space;Another major constraint is the difficulty of finding ways of expanding road capacityin the conurbation, especially in Port Louis itself where space is exceedingly scarce.Major road building solutions to urban transport problems have therefore been
ruled out.
(3)Institutional Capacity; the difficulty in organising and managing the transport system. Will the government accept to increase the staff od NTA and RDA?
ahrazab i completely agree with you about making using public transport mandatory. in France, one mayor did make a bicycle day. why not try it once in mauritius in some part of the country. people in our country don't come up with enough ideas and don't have courage to do things. building new conventional roads are not solution to traffic jam. Roundabouts also are causes for traffic jam. has anybody think about this? why don't we try for road networks present in China? i think the way of thinking of mauririans has to be changed. people just buy cars for show off!!!! will a manager in mauritius accept to use public transport?
ReplyDeletePossible Transport Strategies
ReplyDeleteOf the deficiencies outlined above, probably the most important is the chronic and
increasing traffic congestion in the Port Louis/Plaine Wilhems conurbation.
Strategies to alleviate traffic congestions include:
(1)Decentralising government offices:
Many government offices are currently located in Port Louis, resulting in a corresponding concentration of journeys to work as well as the need for the public to travel to Port Louis to transact business.Decentralisation of those offices that provide services to the public is of course a valid objective, since it would reduce the overall demand for transport.
(2)Restrictions on Commercial Vehicles:
It is often suggested that prohibiting goods
vehicles from using certain roads during peak traffic periods would significantly
lessen traffic congestion, but the Study has concluded that the impact would only be
marginal. Furthermore, the types of business that are attracted to Mauritius depend
to a large extent on timely collection and delivery from their premises, and any
attempt to regulate the times when goods vehicles can be used might seriously
disrupt such operations.
(3)The ‘AMT’ strategy
The ‘AMT’ strategy is based on the introduction of a new mode of transport (rapid transit way) along the line of the former railway between Curepipe and Port Louis.The objective would be to provide a fast, modern public transport system that
would appeal to car owners.
The centrepiece of the recommended strategy is the construction of the AMT
between Curepipe and Port Louis – a distance of some 25km. There would be about 13 stations (or stops), many located in town centres along the route where existing transport terminals already exist.The end-to-end journey time would be
approximately 32 minutes and vehicles would be air-conditioned, to ensure
maximum attraction of car users. Headways would vary by time of day, but are
expected to be of the order of 5 minutes in peak periods. Access to stations would
be by an integrated system of comfortable and reliable feeder buses.
(4)Public Transport Improvements
An essential requirement of the recommended transport strategy is that the whole
public transport system should be as attractive as possible, in order to maximise the use of this (sustainable) transport mode. Buses will, for example, still be required to perform a role, even with the AMT in place, and buses, terminals, interchanges and associated pedestrian facilities will all need to be of a higher quality if they are to be attractive to users.
(5)Port Louis Strategy
· maximising the use of public transport, rather than private cars, to access the
City Centre: this will require higher quality buses, buses of a more appropriate
size for the city’s streets, bus priority (wherever appropriate), improved
terminals and interchange facilities, an improved pedestrian environment, and
improved passenger information and customer care;
· management of on-street and off-street parking capacity within the City Centre
and surrounding areas: this will involve the re-introduction of a paid parking scheme (with around 1700 spaces), removal (or partial removal) of parking from
bus routes and other streets designated for circulation, creation of residents’
parking schemes, and limitations on the availability of new private off-street
spaces to commuters.
· implementation of the Outer Ring Road: will allow port-related trucks and
other by-passable traffic to be diverted from the Waterfront Road, which can
then be dedicated to public transport access and local traffic; and
· eventual implementation of the AMT, with stations at Caudan/Victoria and
Immigration Square being integrated into the City Centre environment.
Environmental Management
ReplyDeleteEnvironmental protection and improvement: It is important that the transport
proposals in the Strategy take account of other potential environmental impacts –
noise, visual impact, impacts on flora and fauna, cultural heritage, impacts on water,
and construction impacts – and include mitigation, protection or enhancement
measures wherever possible, through the development of design guidelines and
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. It is also important that the
adverse environmental impacts of existing transport infrastructure (principally roads)
are reduced as much as possible. Much of this work is connected with road safety
initiatives and with traffic management measures.
The main factors for improvement in this area are:
• fuel type and quality;
• vehicle quality; and
• vehicle emissions standards.
Specific recommendations :
• an intensification of action towards introducing higher fuel quality, including a
short study to confirm the actual cost of doing so and the extent of the
associated logistical difficulties;
• consideration to be given to introducing fiscal incentives to motorists who use
unleaded petrol (ULP) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG);
• tax rebates (on a sliding scale) to be provided to encourage the de-registration of
old private cars, and accredited scrap companies to be set up;
• a reduction in the tax on spare parts;
• urgent steps to be taken to adopt the vehicle emission standards in the Draft
Road Traffic (Construction and Use) Regulations – only feasible once better
quality fuel is available
. Most vehicles especially the new ones must be equipped with catalytic converters.
The only thing that all of us, I mean every Mauritian, must be able to do in order to have our living better off, is to change our mindset. We must be able to think differently, act differently, do things to live and let people live a better life.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the problem? If instead of one person drives to Port Louis in his car, he/she manage to have a common transport together with his/her neighbours or colleagues! This may result to a reduction of cars on our main roads at peak hour by 70 to 80%. But, over here, many people will feel inferior doing so. One who is driving a new 2009 car will definitely not even think about it for a second!!
Another action that the government always talk about, but there is no accomplishment, the implementation of flexi-time! We have no alternative other than to set out from our houses early and moreover at the same time, being trapped in the traffic and finally reach our place of work late. If even a quarter of the population driving to work, in any direction, has the option of starting work an hour or two later to finish later accordingly, the problem will be solved to a maximum. Futhermore, we all know that our country is going towards a system of 24/7, so why not starting with this simple try!!!
Nowadays, I suppose that, many of us will accept having some time for keeping fit. I will propose that we redesign our towns and cities with much more walkways, thus, creating a pedestrian environment. Cars and other heavy vehicles will not be allowed to at every places at any time. Even parking spaces, instead of being in middle areas of the town, must be relocated around the boundary of the town. This may seem long to anyone used to driving everywhere, but in a pedestrian town where people walk everyday one will soon get used to it. Consequently, more of the surroundings, existing car parks, for example, may be converted into green areas.
Our island is small, it does take us much time to move from one place to another normally as other big countries or cities. Why is it so important and very necessary to have all main ministries, court and other main activities to be situated in Port Louis only???. It is that Mauritian type of thinking that always brings us to get stuck at many stages. It is a need, decentralisation has to come forward.
The government is still proposing poor solutions as the ‘ring road’, for example, lots of money will be needed, loans, investment, materials, environmental impact are not taken into consideration. In 20 years time, will the government propose a second ring road???
Our public transport systems needs a big increase in standard. Stuck behind everyone else's cars, public transport is slow, unreliable and not to our expectations. And, since less and less people tend to use it, people have to wait ages for the next bus and pay heavily for the privilege!! …..our buses has to be of international norms, comfortable and rapid enough to encourage our people to get used to public transport.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTraffic congestion is the result of uncontrolled number of vehicles directing to the same place at the same time. The area concerned is mainly when travelling to Port Louis and other towns where there are many business activities, working places, educational institution, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe first solution I propose is the decentralisation of the areas where people from everywhere of the island is gathered. Government offices should be available at regional level dealing with any matter concerned. Business parks should be encouraged to be implemented in new sites like Rose Belle(already in progress), Mahebourg, Flacq,Pamplemousses etc. If people have to travel less to go to their working places, traffic decongestion will be easier. New towns development should be planned in the above proposed areas,that is Mahebourg,Flacq, etc with all facilities like commercial zone,business activity, recreational area,industrial one. These measures will help to decongest the area which is visited by people everyday. Daily activities will take place at regional level. People will not have to travel too far at the same time to their destination. Thus pollution from vehicle will be less. Light rail transport can be proposed for the new towns linking from residential area to business park zone. Paid parking can also be considered as an alternative to discourage people using vehicles.
I also proposed the construction of a second harbour in the east of Mauritius(e.g Flacq) linked by a new motorway from Mahebourg through Flacq to the north. Many goods vehicles form part of the daily traffic congestion leading to Port Louis and vice- versa. The new harbour will be beneficial in the long term also due to increase in traffic concerned with harbour activities.
Gowtum... your comment is not relevant
ReplyDeleteTraffic congestion is really a big threat in Mauritius. Nowadays, the number of roads are limited while the number of vehicles are constantly growing. Traffic congestion leads to many drawbacks:
ReplyDelete1. Loss of fuel,
2. Time,
3. Increase in pollution,
4. Sometimes, lateness at work.
In my opinion, traffic congestion cannot be eliminated but can only be reduced by some measures as listed below:
1. Fly-over can be made to decrease traffic congestion. For e.g, a fly-over can be made from Riche-Terre to Royal College of Port-Louis.
2. The timing of traffic lights is currently around 40 seconds. This can be reduce to 15-20 seconds where traffic congestion took place more often. Hence, this will reduce traffic congestion.
ReplyDelete3. Instead of one person in one car goes to work; arrangements(paid or other) can be made so that all the persons who are going to work at the same place goes in one car. This will decrease the number of vehicles on roads and hence less of wastage of fuel as well as less pollution. Therefore, less traffic congestion on roads.
4. Decentralisation of some offices or bureaus and other buildings can be done. This will reduce traffic congestion.
5. Some people may use buses instead of their own vehicles since buses on the roads are the usual means. It will decrease the number of vehicles on roads.
6. The implementation of metro can be vital. For instance, metro can be placed at:
1. From Riviere-Du-Rempart to Curepipe,
2. From Grand-Bay to Rose-Hill via Port-Louis,
3. From the east to the capital and from the south to the capital.
Eliminate the use of buses and navette will be provided which will link the places. This will decrease traffic congestion on the roads.
7. There must be given period for heavy vehicles NOT to travel especially at the peaks period.
8. Parkings can be created at places before the capital where people can park their vehicles to prevent traffic congestion.
9. There must be no buses on the motorway.
10. Lanes for special vehicles can be made and a motorway can be created for preventing traffic congestion on the roads.
11. Also, vehicles with catalytic convertors can be used to reduce pollution. A fuel which is less polluting can be used and use more vehicles which are less fuel-efficiency. This will decrease pollution and also the environmental effects in the environment.
ReplyDeleteOur main problem concerning Traffic jam normally is on peak hour say in the morning it between 6.45am up to 9.15aa.m and in the afternoon 15.45 upto 6.00p.m.Therefore I will suggest that if all company instead that each staff member use a personal car it will be better if a suitable bus with a.c facilities can be used.Normally a bus can afford about sixty passenger that mean sixty car coming less in the capital,this is for only one company and I am talking of only sixty staff member.Assuming now if all the companies collabarate how many vehicles will reduce but it should be implimented firmly.
ReplyDeleteSomeone talk about the round about well round about causes lots of traffic jam in Mauritius instead of round about we can remove the round about on the motor way M1 to reduce traffic jam and introducing a double lane motor way like it has been done in our neighbourhood which is the Reunion Island "Route Tamarin" which is a non-stop road which connects different part of the island.
ReplyDeleteThen small opening on the left of the road which will leads to other village or town.
So if a road like that is introduced in Mauritius this will surely reduce the traffic congestion.
The traffic increases since there is only one fastest ways to move from north to south and vice versa of the country which pass through the capital Port-Louis so if another road can be created to link the north and south without passing through the capital this would reduce the traffic jam as people traveling from north to the south will take this road rather than passing through Port-Louis.
The distance from north to south is too long for someone to ride it through bicycle or walk so other means of transport can be introduce like tram way which is a good as this will olso reduces pollution.
A characteristic that has set human beings apart from other species is their ability to control many aspects of the environment. Throughout recorded history, mankind has struggled to manage its natural environment in order to improve its well being.It is certain that large-scale man-made activities create environmental impacts. Therefore before taking any drastic decision, the above considerations is important. The infrastructure or plan to be suggested should be in harmony with the environment.Firstly the capacity of roads can be increased, road tax to be reviewed resulting to a considerable increase. Round abouts which connects tributary roads should be eliminated to create a fluid traffic flow. Speed limit also is an important factor which should be analysed to avoid the normal flow of traffic due to certain vehicles which are not conformed to this limit.Heavy duty vehicles should be allowed on the motor way just for brief intervals and which are passed fit by traffic controllers. My measures are to maintain the environmental aspects as far as possible.
ReplyDeletei think the introduction of subway and underground trains will be highly efficient and this will appeal to a lot of vehicle users only if:
ReplyDelete(1) The standard of service is good and attractive (comforts, safety, etc)
(2) For this to work, the tarrif of for example the route from curepipe to Port- louis must be less than the cost of burning fuel to come to Port- Louis.
(3) Also, to increase the number of its passengers,the access to Port- Louis must be made payable at a tariff higher than travelling by trains.
It is a costly Project and that is why it has been dormant since many years. So i would suggest to seek for foreign investment to excute that project which will be very profitable in the long term too.
Also it msut be said that on railways there are no traffic congestions.....so can this be the cure to this national disease??..I would give it a shot!!
These are jsut some tips to avoid being stuck in traffic jams
ReplyDelete1. First, find out what options for public transportation are in your area. Using buses and Taxis(Taxi train/Taxi marron) will cut down on your time spent frustrated behind the wheel. Even if you are stuck in traffic on a bus you can spend that time reading or working on a laptop instead of swearing at people who cut in front of you.
2.Explore car pooling in your area. If you live near coworkers that is the best. As in the bus example above, you may still be in traffic but at least you won't be the one driving in it everyday. And if enough people did this it would reduce the amount of traffic on the roads.
3. Know the alternate traffic routes you can take to work and back home. Don't just assume the biggest highway is the most efficient route for you to take. Experiment with alternate routes on your way home for alternate suggestions. Sometimes just a slight adjustment on back roads can save you time and frustration because everyone else is using the route you would normally take.
4. Also aware of the school start time and school schedule's and routes along your way home. Having to drive past a school of getting stuck behind and elementary school bus are sure ways to increase your commuting time. Even if an alternate route adds a Kilometer or to two to commute it will at least be a mile spent moving faster.
5. Finally, if your commute isn't too far and you really want to get crazy you can work or ride your bike to work. Not only will this cut down on the time you are stuck behind the whell, but it will improve your health too.
6. You can ask your employer about flexible hours. If you normally work from 8:30 to 5 then ask if you can work from 7:30 to 4 or 9:30 to 6. This will help you avoid the peak traffic times. Granted if you work 9:30 to 6 you will get to work and back home a little later but at least you wont be as stressed in the process.
ReplyDeleteI refer to my previous comment and wish to inform that while reducing so much vehicle less petrol will be used which will lead to less of co2 in the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThese past years statistically there have been an increase in the number of Vehicle on road but our motor way have not increase in size.I think that with the implimentation of the TGV,starting from Mahebourg travel by Curepipe,Reduit,Portlouis and up to Pamplemousses will reduce our traffic problem.Following to this people will save time and result in less stress plus a positive physical health.
Every day, a mass of people use the public transport to go to work, schools and to visit relatives across the island. This great benefit of the public transport has brought a lot of facilities for Mauritians but, has also caused an important issue in our societies.First of all, due to public transport, the traffic jam has increased at an excessive rate on our motorways. Thousands of vehicles such as buses but, particularly cars are circulating on the roads like ants and cause an immense traffic jam and delaying the people either to arrive at work on time or the students being late at school. Moreover due the the fact of traffic jam, air and noise pollution is increasing contributing in the destruction of the ozone layer. Most of the Business facilities and head office are found at port louis, hence, all the people from all part from Mauritius had to travel there leading for traffic congestion on our motorway. If all the documentations and procedures could have been done in all the branch of the company, less people would have to travel till port louis and this could have contributed in the reduction of traffic on the road. likewise, alternative roads should have been provided and trees being planted on both sides of the road. Another idea could be provided comfortable buses with air conditioning system for people traveling long distance to their working place. Even the companies could have invested in these kind of transportation which would have firstly, reduced their spends on providing the traveling cost to the workers and secondly would have help in the reduction of traffic on road. Furthermore, for people travelling a small distance, which consist for example 4 person working at the same place, the system of car pooling can be used.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion these measure can help in the reduction of traffic jams and protect the environment.
i thk nowadays we are living in such a situation where i thk working time should become flexible, like it is been done these days in private sector...
ReplyDeleteOne aspect that we might consider in order to solve traffic congestion, we should try to apply the concept of encouraging people to work diretly from their homes, that is, mail and internet!!! this will also provide the advantage of no travelling, therefore reducing traffic congestion. This will also the enables the freedom for the people to work at the ease without no stress thus increasing the productivity
working directly from home on mail and internet, but what about people working on construction site, sugar factory and machinists working in textile factory? Thats non even the right solution till now. Even if we find the suitable means of transport like under ground metro,how long will that take to put into practice and till then vehicles will continue to increase on the road. what the governement can do, in my opinion, is to cut down road tax but on the other hand increase the price of fuel. so that people who will use the road more frequently will pay more fuel. this will tend to encourage members of the same family using only one car. moreover, entrance to towm should be paid at a high charge. only private cars will have to pay this fee. Public transport will not be considered in this.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell done to all those who have posted their comments. Keep it up and thanks.
ReplyDeletePOSTED BY SACHIN
ReplyDeleteTraffic congestion can be reduced or eliminated! All items below cost very little. Any by themselves would decrease traffic congestion. Together, they would eliminate it.
1) Implement employee parking cash-out (equalizing the parking subsidy). This would have an immediate impact of reducing car commuting by 25%.
2) Institute "Fare Lanes." These let anyone use carpool lanes, but charges them a fare per car. Use existing lanes of roads. Do not add more lanes.
3) Eliminate parking requirements in industrial areas (and ideally, everywhere). If necessary, implement parking permits for neighborhoods (already common in some countries).
4) Implement traffic calming to create a more livable neighborhood and decrease automobile dependency. This will also decrease auto usage.
5) Any congestion still remaining will be eliminated by use of congestion pricing. This means charging for road use an amount that varies so that traffic is kept moving. As rush hour approaches, the price increases in stages in order to keep total cars using the facility at the same optimal flow level. The money raised could be used to build guideway transit because road users also benefit by paying for potential motorists to use alternatives. Congestion pricing also increases highway capacity while reducing political pressure for more highway construction.
Posted By Sachin
Traffic congestion can be reduced or eliminated!
ReplyDeleteAll the 7 items mentioned below so as to alleviate congestion on roads along with pollution, cost very little.
Any by themselves would decrease traffic congestion.
Together, they would eliminate it.
1) Implement employee parking cash-out (equalizing the parking subsidy). This would have an immediate impact of reducing car commuting by 25%.
In a “cash out program”, a company pays employees to not drive. One rationale for such a program is that because car parking is an expensive commodity, those that use it less than others deserve additional compensation. A reduction in car commuting of 25%, also means a reduction in carbon emission on roads. This initiative demands the collaboration of both the government along with private sectors.
2) Raise the gas tax in a "revenue neutral" manner. At present, about half of local road costs are paid for by property taxes. Thus “revenue neutral" would mean that all gas tax proceeds would go toward reducing property and sales taxes.
3) Institute "Fare Lanes." These let anyone use carpool lanes, but charges them a fare per car. Use existing lanes of roads. Do not add more lanes.
Let's call it a "fare way" instead of a "toll road".
How it works
A small plastic case, called a "tag" either attaches to the vehicle, or is placed on the dashboard. The tag contains information in an electronic memory that is transmitted to roadside "readers" using radio frequencies. There are two methods:
• The tags contain the license plate number, and the readers send this information to a computer for billing. The customer receives monthly billing as for other utility bills. These tags do not contain batteries, nor do they have any wires to attach.
• Or, the tags contain monetary value only, similar to pre-pay phone cards. Tags are purchased in advance and then debited just by driving by.
Both methods should be used, to give people a choice.
The readers do not have to charge the same rate to all vehicles. Trucks and buses should be charged more. If a new lane were constructed, users of that lane should be charged for the lane construction.
Most important, the fare per mile can frequently change to keep traffic flowing at an optimum speed, thus eliminating congestion.
sorry,its 3 and not 7 solutions!
ReplyDeleteTraffic congestion can be reduced or eliminated! All items below cost very little. Any by themselves would decrease traffic congestion. Together, they would eliminate it.
ReplyDelete1) Implement employee parking cash-out (equalizing the parking subsidy). This would have an immediate impact of reducing car commuting by 25%.
2) Institute "Fare Lanes." These let anyone use carpool lanes, but charges them a fare per car. Use existing lanes of roads. Do not add more lanes.
3) Eliminate parking requirements in industrial areas (and ideally, everywhere). If necessary, implement parking permits for neighborhoods (already common in some countries).
4) Implement traffic calming to create a more livable neighborhood and decrease automobile dependency. This will also decrease auto usage.
5) Any congestion still remaining will be eliminated by use of congestion pricing. This means charging for road use an amount that varies so that traffic is kept moving. As rush hour approaches, the price increases in stages in order to keep total cars using the facility at the same optimal flow level. The money raised could be used to build guideway transit because road users also benefit by paying for potential motorists to use alternatives. Congestion pricing also increases highway capacity while reducing political pressure for more highway construction.