Abstracts

The Urban Transportation Crisis in Developing Countries: Alternative Policies for an Equitable Space

by Eduardo Alcantara Vasconcellos

Planners in developing countries have tended to use transport modelling techniques designed by and developed for cities in the west. Besides being unsuitable, they are inappropriate to the everyday needs of people in developing countries. Planners must reassess their approach, rid themselves of their assumptions and begin by asking a new set of questions.

Sustainable Transport Solutions for Calcutta

by John Whitelegg

Like many cities in developing countries, Calcutta has a very small ecological footprint - it is relatively self-sufficient. However, Calcuttans can see, and wish to attain, the relative comfort of western lifestyles. In addition, they can see through the sustainability rhetoric of western governments who, while demanding that developing countries should become more sustainable, are doing little to initiate and implement sustainability themselves. Indeed, western consultants are pushing inappropriate and unsustainable transport infrastructure on Calcutta. In the meantime, Calcutta and Calcuttans will suffer.

Calcutta in Pollution Perspective

by Dipankar Chakraborti

Calcutta suffers from chronic pollution. It is pervasive, temporally, spatially and democratically. Every Calcuttan is affected and, as a result, many suffer ill health. There is no easy solution, but the main cause, povery, is identified.

Transport predicament in Calcutta

by Dilip Halder

Urban transport in Calcutta is in crisis. Because of uncontrolled land use development, associated transport activity and an unrelenting increase in private motor vehicles, there is severe congestion and deteriorating public transport. In addition, air and noise pollution are insufferable.

The Left Alliance and the Unintended City: Is a civilised transition possible?

by Jai Sen

Attempts have been made to ban hand-pulled rickshaws in Calcutta in the past. Hand-pulled rickshaws are one of the last vestiges of feudalism and imperialism. The lives and livelihoods of those who pull the rickshaws are not normally considered because some politicians believe that "the poor must suffer a little for the good of the larger community".

Unco-ordinated public transport: Calcutta style

by Debasish Bhattacharyya

Calcutta's public transport has developed in a very haphazard manner, with a mixture of public and private providers. The private operators are beyond any regulation. It is totally unco-ordinated and insufficient for the needs of the city. Levels of investment are low, the infrastructure is in poor condition and it is in urgent need of integration.

The underground railway system in Calcutta

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