Sustainable Transport

Before we go any further to understand sustainable transport approaches of various organisations in Abu Dhabi, I just want to pick some brains including my own to understand :
what we actually mean by using the term Sustainable Transport?

I am sure if you have reached to this blog, you would say we all know what sustainable transport means. Anyway, I always have a habit of teaching like a well known professor( all those who are from SPA know who the professor is!), so here is a definition from the European Union Council of Ministers of Transport:

1. A transport system that allows the basic access and development needs of individuals, companies and society to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and promotes equity within and between successive generations.

2. A transport system which is affordable, operates fairly and efficiently, offers a choice of transport mode, and supports a competitive economy, as well as balanced regional development.

3. A transport system that limits emissions and waste within the planet’s ability to absorb them, uses renewable resources at or below their rates of generation, and uses non-renewable resources at or below the rates of development of renewable substitutes, while minimizing the impact on the use of land and the generation of noise.

Now can I ask you what we are trying to achieve here in Abu Dhabi? Is it part, some or all of the above?

1. A BIG question: Are we trying to bring "equality" between various end users in this part of the world, where the difference between incomes is so huge that a significant number in this society earn less in a month than some of us make in an hour.

2. I am sure making the proposed system "affordable, efficient and reliable" for this government here will not be a problem for many many generations.

3. However, I am not fully confident that the approach to limit emissions has been seriously considered yet. I fully appreciate that one needs to have a transport system in place first and that is where all the energies are focused currently. By no means, it is an easy task and by no means I am undermining the efforts of a number of stakeholders including DoT, UPC and the Leadership. It has been a tremendous effort to reach where we are in such a short span.

However, when you have the option to choose from a number of existing sustainable modes of transport (e.g. CNG buses etc), why did we choose diesel buses at the first place.