The coronavirus 2019 pandemic (Covid-19) offers a unique opportunity for countries to expand its transportation options, according to an expert from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In an Asian Development Blog, ADB Central and West Asia Department Senior Urban Development Specialist (Transport) Lloyd Wright said the pandemic can be an opportunity to adopt walking and cycling as alternative modes of transport.
Wright said upgrading footpaths and developing cycleways will boost government investments as well as provide jobs and grow the economy during this time.
“With streets now operating under dramatically reduced traffic levels, an opportunity exists to quickly address long-standing needs that are difficult to implement under day-to-day realities,” Wright said. “Upgrading footpaths and developing cycleways is the type of quick win that can utilize the economic stimulus spending being deployed to shore up falling economies.”
Wright said the pandemic casts doubt on the safety of travelling through certain transport modes such as buses and trains where passengers are in close proximity to each other, increasing the risk of infection.
He said with this, there is a large potential for walking and cycling. Wright said in the early days of the virus in New York, there was a 50-percent year-on-year increase in cycling. Further, there was a 67 percent increase in the use of CitiBike, New York’s bicycle sharing system.
Further, Wright said given the lockdowns imposed by various national and local governments, home delivery services have increased. These services, he said, can help reduce congestion and emissions if these reach economies of scale in urban delivery logistics.
“During this time of crisis, to the extent persons have options, passengers do appear to be avoiding public transport. Most likely, governments will need to step forward with financial support to public transport operators for both short-term and long-term viability,” Wright said.
The pandemic is also helping improve nation’s carbon footprints. Satellite images showed that the most seriously affected countries have shown a remarkable clearing of the typical season pollutant levels.
Wright said based on these images, greenhouse gas emissions from these areas have been reportedly reduced by approximately 25 percent.
Further, through new technologies, millions are able to work from the confines of their homes reducing congestion in the streets and greenhouse gas emissions.
These technologies, Wright said, create visual space for sharing information and facilitating decision-making. He said countries are already moving away from tele-conferencing to “lifelike virtual interaction.”
“While work-from-home may never fully replace workplace presence, the new technologies at least offer the potential to reduce the need for everyday commuting,” Wright said.
