Xiamen introduces free public transportation plan for the disabled

Xiamen: "The municipal government has recently announced that the disabled will be able to enjoy free public transportation in the city, which means that people with disabilities in Xiamen can travel for free on buses and the BRT in the future.

In the past, disabled people could enjoy favorable treatment while taking public transport in Xiamen, but they still needed to pay a reduced fee. In the near future, people with disabilities will be able to use public transportation throughout the city at no cost.
"

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A tramway moves eight times as many people as a road lane

Tramways a pollution-free option | South China Morning Post: " a city that rightly prides itself on putting priority on public transport, and where only 10 per cent of trips are done by private car, it should not be impossible to allocate space to tram lanes that can each carry eight times as many people as a road lane.

In fact, befitting the vision of a "smokeless" Kai Tak, promoting usage of emission-free modern tramways rather than polluting private cars, would be a perfectly sensible policy decision. "

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Public transit must come first to get to a walkable city - Hong Kong Transport Secretary

Speech by STH at Walkable City, Living Streets - Conference on Pedestrian Network Planning, Safety and Streets as Public Spaces in Hong Kong: "if a densely populated city like Hong Kong is to function well as a walkable city, we must first of all provide an efficient mass transit system so as to free up road space. The entire city should be well served by easily accessible public transport with good intermodal connectivity, and pedestrians should be able to move around in a safe and comfortable environment. At the same time, the needs of the elderly and disabled must be well taken care of.

...For too long, like other big cities, Hong Kong has been working hard to cope with motorised transport by building more roads and highways, yet the number of cars keeps on increasing and traffic congestion and roadside emission worsens.

It is indeed time for us to pause, to rethink the future of our city design and transport planning, and to put pedestrians back on our policy map.

When I was a young boy, I lived in Wan Chai, and I went to school by walking. I walked to the City Hall library every Saturday, and I walked to Causeway Bay and Happy Valley for leisure and shopping."

Big Oil, Burma and the Genocide Against the Rohingya

The Cutting Edge: "The last two years has seen first the US, then the UK and the EU, lift decades of economic sanctions with a view to "open a new chapter" in relations with Burma.
Nestled strategically between India and China, Burma is rich in fossil fuels and other mineral resources, including oil, gas, gold, timber and jade."

Cause of death? Competition

A proven way to cut road deaths | South China Morning Post: "Last year, according to a report tabled in the Legislative Council, taxis clocked more than 1,700 speeding offences per 1,000 vehicles, a worrying 37 per cent increase over 2011. Even such a high incidence of offending could understate the problem, given the competition for fares. That is a worry, since speed is one of the main killers on the roads.
...An industry spokesman urged the government to curb illicit fare discounting that encourages drivers to speed to earn more money...."

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Chengdu is interested in cooperation with free public transport in Tallinn

Tallinn: "China's Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, Liu Shoucheng deputy mayor in charge of Transport confirmed on 26 At a meeting in March, Mayor Jim loop Chengdu interest free public transport in Tallinn and deepen contacts Chengdu to participate in the activities of the public transport network."

Cars choking Mongolia

Mongolia’s car-free day urges cycling instead - NZweek: "ULAN BATOR, March 31 — The Mongolian capital held a “Car-Free Day” Sunday, calling on people to travel by bike in a bid to cut the city’s severe winter air pollution.

Traffic congestion and environmental problems caused by vehicle emissions have become a thorny problem for the government. Sunday’s campaign, co-sponsored by Ulan Bator city hall and the Bicycle Federation, included bicycle touring, cycling performances, parade square running, children’s painting, health consultation and other activities."

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