ESCAP Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific, No. 82 Call for contributions on the theme of "Combating Congestion in Asian Cities"
With growing motorization, most cities in Asia and the Pacific are facing tremendous challenges in coping with traffic congestion.  Congestion accentuates the health and environmental impact of motor vehicles because vehicles operating in heavy traffic pollute considerably more than those operating in free-flow conditions.  Congestion also exacts a heavy economic and social toll on people living in cities in terms of wasted time and fuel costs.   In recent years, several major cities have launched mass transit projects, such as the Delhi Metro in Delhi, India;  TransJakarta, the first full Bus Rapid Transit system in Indonesia and Asia; and suburban metro lines in Beijing, China.  Others have implemented traffic demand management policies, such as the congestion charge scheme in Singapore and car plate auctioning systems in Shanghai, China.  Despite some successes, however, urban mobility continues to deteriorate in most Asian cities because most initiatives fail to address the root causes of congestion. These include:
subsidised private vehicles; subsidised and low cost fuels; availability of low cost urban parking; lack of safe, reliable, convenient public transport; poor driving behaviour, lack of driver education and low standards for driving tests; narrow, poorly maintained roads; lack of connectivity between modes; lack of pedestrian facilities and pavements; poor enforcement of traffic regulations and parking laws; poor enforcement of land-use and zoning regulations; unrestricted densification and lack of traffic impact assessments of new urban developments; increasing number of urban freight vehicles; unrestricted access to city centres; and sharing of roads by various types of vehicles.
These fourteen causes of congestion are well known and documented, and yet both national and municipal governments seem unable to overcome them.  In this regard, ESCAP is calling for original research articles on the subject of effective and practical policies to reduce congestion, with a focus on proven examples from cities in Asia and the Pacific.   Articles may cover subjects such as:
	traffic/travel demand management measures (urban road charging, vehicle taxes, high occupancy lanes, automobile restricted zones, for example in central business districts, company and school commuting systems)
	public transport improvement measures (transit priorities, fleet management, bus lanes, integration of urban modes, new transit systems such as urban rail transit and Bus Rapid Transit systems, intelligent transport systems such as real-time information services)
	parking control techniques (restricting availability of parking space, prohibition of on-street parking, parking taxes and charges)
	pedestrianisation (including redesigning of circulation systems in central business districts and residential areas, improved walkways and footpaths)
	communication and behavioural change initiatives
	case studies on any of the above, including congestion studies.
In the first instance, authors are requested to send an email to Peter O’Neill, Chief, Transport Policy and Development Section, ESCAP (oneillp@un.org) with an abstract of no more than 250 words.   Following an internal review, authors will be asked to submit their full articles by 1 July 2013.   Completed articles should not exceed 7,500 words and should follow the following “Guidelines for contributors”.   The Bulletin will be published (online) in the last quarter of 2013.
Guidelines for contributors

Contact person:

Mr. Peter O'Neill Chief, Transport Policy and Development Section Transport Division, ESCAP Tel: (66-2) 288-1374 Fax: (66-2) 288-3050, 288-1067 E-mail: oneillp@un.org

Copyright© 2013 UNESCAP  | Legal Notice