Strategies for World Cities to Arrange Climate-Friendly Public Transportation

Cities around the world are trying to meet the transportation needs of their citizens while meeting the targets of the 2015 climate agreement.

AP/KELVIN CHAN

People at St Pancras international train station, London, England, board the Eurostar high-speed train bound for Paris, France, May 21, 2022.

Public transportation and private vehicles running on fossil fuels in big cities contribute greatly to air pollution and poor urban air quality. Mainly due to exhaust emissions and the resulting congestion.

Referring to the 2015 Paris Agreement, every city in the world has agreed to reduce the impact of green house gas emissions and to limit Earth's warming to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius. The challenge for city managers to fulfill this agreement is increasingly difficult, intertwined with the growing demand for transportation needs.

The United Nations estimates that by 2030 around 60 percent of the world's population will live in cities. This makes the need for mobility so high. The burden on transportation is getting bigger.

According to the 2021 TomTom index that analyzes traffic congestion and resulting emissions in over 400 cities worldwide, many cities fall into the category of bad cities, with high levels of severe traffic congestion. The top five are Istanbul, Moscow, Kyiv, Bogota, and Mumbai.

Also read: World Agrees to Accelerate Joint Climate Action

In 2023, the city's congestion index will change. In 2023, the top five most congested cities will be London, Dublin, Toronto, Milan, and Lima.

AFP/DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

A car emits emissions while stuck in traffic in central London, England, October 23 2017.

This change in index is related to the city management's efforts to find strategies to improve mobility and overcome traffic congestion in order to reduce emissions, one of which is to limit the use of private vehicles in the city center.

As quoted by the World Economic Forum (weforum) in 2022, city management is pushing residents to use public transportation more than private vehicles. The city management is balancing this push by revolutionizing the quality and system of public transportation.

City managers are making efforts to provide and develop more environmentally friendly and affordable public transportation systems for everyone. The source of the public transportation's power also comes from electricity or renewable energy, no longer relying on fossil fuel transportation.

Cable car in Paris

For instance, the city administration of Paris, France, has approved the construction of an environmentally friendly public transportation system in the form of a cable car line. According to the European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA) website, the cable car service called "Cable C1" is currently being built in the Val-de-Marne area in the southeast of Paris.

A total of 20,000 people and 6,000 workers from the region will be helped by the service which is planned to be operational by mid-2025.

AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA

This photo taken on April 19, 2024 shows a queue of traffic jams at Versailles, west of Paris, France.

According to EMTA, the cable car project is adjusted to the difficulty of mobility for residents. The people in that area do not have access to public transportation because of the limited road and train infrastructure, as well as the hilly terrain. Buses also do not operate optimally in the area.

Also read: Mass Transportation, Solution for Reducing Carbon Emissions in the Transportation Sector

The "Cable C1" project worth 110 million euros spans 4.5 kilometers with five stations. The "Cable C1" route connects four areas in Val-de-Marne, namely Créteil, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Limeil-Brévannes, and Valenton. This cable car service will also be connected to the current public transport network, namely Metro Line 8, regular railway networks, and buses.

The cable car service will be connected to the existing public transportation network, namely Metro Line 8, regular train network, and buses.

The estimated travel time from end to end is less than 17 minutes. In its operation, the arrival distance between the cable cars is regulated to 30 seconds, allowing up to 1,600 people to be transported during peak hours. This innovative urban cable car project is poised to revolutionize transportation in the area.

AFP/BERTRAND GUAY

The photo taken on April 24, 2018 shows commuters walking on the platform at Saint-Lazare, Paris, France, during a train workers' strike.

Ambitious policies in Oslo

The strategy in Oslo, Norway, is a little different. Referring to the "Mayors of Europe" website, Oslo has ambitious policies. Starting in 2015, Oslo gradually banned the use of private vehicles in the city center.

This policy is related to Oslo's target to be free from carbon emissions from fossil fuels by 2050. Apart from that, the city manager has also set a target to make Oslo more livable and environmentally friendly.

Protests and criticisms that arose prompted the Oslo City Government to change its policy. In addition to prohibiting the use of private vehicles, the local government also banned parking in the city center.

A total of 700 parking spaces in the city center were converted into bicycle paths and parks-small parks with seating. The city government encourages Oslo residents to use more public transport, which continues to improve its quality and expand its network. The city government also operates electric buses. Residents are also encouraged to cycle or walk.

AFP/FREDRIK VARFJELL

A cyclist crosses the Karl Johans gate in Oslo, Norway on September 14, 2018. The government of Oslo city continues to strive for an environmentally friendly city and achieving zero carbon emissions target.

The London city government is also seeking ways to encourage city residents to leave their private vehicles. Ride-hailing companies are encouraged to collaborate with water bus operators operating on the River Thames. During rush hour, employees are encouraged to use water buses to get to work, instead of using buses or the underground.

What about Jakarta?

Since 2019, Jakarta has started operating urban train services, MRT Jakarta. On the MRT Jakarta website, it is mentioned that the policy of providing urban public transportation to reduce congestion is accompanied by improvements to areas around commuter stations and organizing intermodal transportation integration. This step is aimed at encouraging people to switch from private vehicles to public transportation.

Also read: The Importance of Mass Transport Infrastructure Development in ASEAN

Although only 16 kilometers long, the rail-based public transportation serves as an alternative for city residents who have difficulty accessing public transportation or for those who have depended on private vehicles.

There needs to be a will

Referring to the TomTom Index, in 2017 Jakarta ranked fourth as the most congested city in the world. In 2018, it ranked seventh. In 2019, when the MRT began operating, Jakarta was ranked tenth as the most congested city in the world. If there is a willingness to improve, the severity of traffic congestion can be reduced.

The Covid-19 pandemic, with all its restrictive regulations, once placed Jakarta at the rank of 46th most congested city in 2021. However, in 2023, Jakarta is ranked as the 30th most congested city in the world.

Jakarta is continuing the construction of MRT phase 2 (from Bundaran HI to Ancol), Jakarta LRT phase 1B (from Velodrome to Manggarai), and starting to operate comfortable electric buses. The goal, of course, is to encourage residents to use public transportation and reduce emissions.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

MRT train arrives at Lebak Bulus MRT Station, South Jakarta, April 19 2024.

In Malaysia, in order to face climate change, the Malaysian government is encouraging citizens in Kuala Lumpur and major cities in Malaysia to use public transportation. They are supporting this call by building a public transportation network.

In the report by The Edge Malaysia on September 21, 2023, Malaysian Transportation Minister Anthony Loke explained that the Malaysian Government has implemented the My50 program to attract and encourage citizens to use public transport. In the program, citizens only need to pay 50 Malaysian ringgit (equivalent to Rp 170,000) per month to cover their travel costs, especially for the use of public transport managed by Prasana Malaysia Bhd. The Government has prepared fare subsidies for the remaining costs.

The latest news is that on April 25th, 2024, Loke launched the construction of an electric commuter train network in southern Peninsular Malaysia, from Gemas to Johor Bahru. The network will facilitate residents who want to go to Singapore.

The issue of air pollution is not new. The condition of the community being threatened by air pollution has been going on for a long time. There is also no shortage of research evidence indicating the threats of the impacts of air pollution. However, in reality, this has not been able to push for significant efforts in controlling air pollution. As a result, residents are increasingly suffering from the effects of air pollution. The World Economic Forum's December 20, 2023 edition also emphasized the need for countries and major cities to continue investing in electrified transportation infrastructure and expanding public transportation services. If these steps are taken, these countries and cities are on the right track to reduce emissions and prepare for the future of cities. (REUTERS)