Environment and mass transit interlink

By Dr. Bambang S. Pujantiyo

JAKARTA (JP): In selecting and determining a type of mass public transportation, there is much to be considered. But the most important matter is selecting which type has the biggest positive impact and the smallest negative impact. The direct impacts are those such as time and cost for users of mass public transportation, and the indirect impacts are those such as economic ones. Social and environmental improvements and so forth are later impacts, occurring after the construction of such infrastructure. Meanwhile, the environmental impact itself has many factors, factors which cannot be ignored in the science of transportation. These factors are so important that they recently became a determining factor in selecting the type of mass public transportation in big cities all over the world.

With this basic environmental knowledge, as a transport planner, it is important to know the relationship between environmental impact and the selection of the type of mass transportation to be applied in big cities of developing countries, such as in the city of Jakarta.

Mass transit

Mass public transportation is a means of transportation for the public which can convey a large number of passengers. Based on the location of its operation, it can be categorized into land, sea, and air public transportation. However, land public transportation, up to now, is the means of transportation which causes many problems and discussions among researchers.

Nowadays, there are many types of land mass transportation. The author of Urban Public Transport, Amano, categorized land mass transportation based on transport capacity. The transport capacity of electric trains both on and under the ground is estimated to be able to transport 40,000 people per hour. Monorail, light rail, tram, etc., can transport up to 10,000 passengers per hour. Big buses, such as we see in Jakarta, can transport up to 2,000 passengers per hour. Thus, the largest transport capacity of all these means of transportation is the train which can be categorized into two types, that is, trains which operate on the ground and underground trains.

Environment

The negative impact on the environment, that is, air and noise pollution where one of its main causes is the motor vehicle, recently became a serious problem. A tremendous amount of exhaust or noise emitted from a vehicle can cause many health problems for the people in its vicinity.

As stated by Nakamura in his book Urban and Environmental, pollution is mainly caused by diesel powered vehicles and affects people's health. Therefore, to deal with this pollution, researchers and manufacturers of motor vehicles, such as those in Japan, have been directed by their governments to lower air and noise pollution emitted by motor vehicles. This effort has been fruitful, with the release of vehicles with a lower pollution rate, even vehicles with no pollution at all, such as battery or solar cars which are now close to full operation. But, to date, a drastic reduction of pollution from diesel vehicles is still unlikely. Hence, a policy to increase the means of land public transportation such as diesel buses, seems to be in direction conflict with the criteria of overcoming air and noise pollution.

Complimenting the surrounding area is also a determining factor in selecting types of public transportation. In consideration of nature, harmony and beauty between modern technology and the surrounds would be required. Although the economic development of one country is so fast, policies in the planting of trees and establishment of gardens in big cities should not be forgotten. Thus, in the implementation of infrastructure construction for mass public transportation, it is expected that trees and gardens should not be destroyed, but should be increased.

Social Cost

If the environmental impacts are calculated into social costs, such as medical care necessary because of illnesses caused by air and noise pollution, it can be imagined how much the social cost will be. Research on social cost caused by environmental effects have been presented many times, such as in a paper written by Pu jantiyo entitled A Study on Social Cost by Road Environment, which describes how much loss is suffered by people living along the roads in an area of Chiba Perfecture in Japan because of the effects of air and noise pollution from motor vehicles. This loss is calculated into a social cost. Hence, to avoid the increase of social costs, a policy of railway construction or development both on or under the ground can be assumed as an appropriate selection.

However, the above mentioned are also added to social costs because of the destruction of the surroundings. The research on social cost due to the destruction of surroundings' visual appearances have not been presented. Such social cost has actually happened, as for instance, the problems which have just occurred in Japan with the estimated high cost of changing the present electricity service to an underground electric conductor system. This is one of the policies of recovering the appearance of surroundings in big cities in Japan.

By studying such cases, it can be imagined if it is one day made compulsory to calculate the cost of changing mass public transportation infrastructure to underground systems. Therefore, by assessing carefully the science, the development, and the environmental problems which exist on the basic science of transportation, initially establishing an underground system seems preferable.

Subway

It can be said that an underground train, also called a subway and which generally can transport a large number of passengers, almost causes no air and noise pollution, and moreover does not destroy the view above ground. Thus, its selection as the type of means of mass public transportation is viewed as very suitable. Therefore, a subway is viewed as the solution in overcoming transportation problems in big cities such as Jakarta, from the view point of transportation and also for the benefit of many people. Environment is one of the important factors in determining policies, especially in selecting technology to overcome transportation problems.

On the other hand, the construction of a subway would obviously involve a very high cost compared to that of above ground transportation, or of another means of transportation. This is caused by its structure which is underground where ground conditions might be poor, so that special technology in its construction will be required, which will clearly have a high cost. But such a high cost is not considered high if compared to the otherwise environmental impact and social cost.

However, operating a subway as a solution to the present transportation problem does not mean having no more problems. For example, from an engineering perspective, concerns of how sturdy the whole construction system would be in facing natural disasters are a factor.

With these matters, it is appropriate and preferable to study and analyze first its sciences as a basis to avoid the failures which happened in advanced countries, and to learn from their cases.

In selecting modern technology, whether as planner or in managing mass transportation, with this knowledge and experience on environmental impacts, we should not be trapped with only an application of modern technology from advanced countries, but should also learn first about its impacts, especially environmental impacts, to be able to utilize modern technology to such a stage that it can be used for the benefit of science and the benefit of the people, especially those in developing countries.