The Second Local Governments Transport Officer Forum (LGTOF II)
Discussion Session of the Local Governments Transport Officer Forum II
21 – 24 November 2018, UCLG ASPAC organised the second Local Governments Transport Officer Forum (LGTOF II) in South Tangerang under the theme: Transport Innovation Development: People Oriented. The event brought together over 80 participants including city representatives, national government officials and international organisations. Dr. Gyeng-Chul Kim, UCLG ASPAC special advisor for transportation, and David John Ingham, World Bank senior urban transport specialist, were amongst the experts who participated in the event. The forum helped to build the capacity of Local Governments in relation to transport, facilitate development and provide practical solutions to transportation problems. The forum aims to strengthen networks and cooperation amongst UCLG ASPAC members by sharing experiences and ideas to help them bring about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Best practices in public transport from developed and developing countries were shared including creative financing, alternative energies and innovations. Dr. Gyeng-Chul Kim discussed the role of transportation in social justice. Using Seoul as an example, he discussed the inequalities that arise from designing a cities transport around private cars. A reduction in space allocated for sidewalks and bike
lanes made the city dangerous for mothers with strollers and the disabled. Inclusive mobility must consider all users of public transport. David John Ingham presented information about the National Urban Transport Support Program (NUTSP). Currently, it is difficult for Local Governments to access funding and support for urban transport problems as the existing national initiatives are fragmented, hard to find and hard to access, the NUTSP aims to reduce the difficulty by providing a single point of contact. The program is based around two pillars, firstly enhanced financing mechanism for mass transit and secondly support and capacity building for cities. He strongly recommended that local governments start by creating an overall mobility plan, rather than starting with a technology and forcing it to fit the situation, a position Dr. Kulwant Singh also supported. He also spoke of the need for coordination in planning urban transport systems so that they crossed administrative borders, encouraging thinking about moving people rather than administrative boundaries. Dr. Singh emphasised the need to make public transport an attractive option for the public, moving away from a perception as dirty and crowded to one where it is considered as comfortable as a car. A carrot and stick approach providing incentives for the use of public transport and disincentives for private car use is needed to ensure the system is used and reduce the number of private cars in daily use. Public transport planning must take future scenarios into account, with planning considering the customers view and affordability. Effective Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) systems are a good way of dealing with immediate public transport problems due to the speed at which it can be built, its flexibility and affordability. They can also be built within a single term in office which increases the chance they will be completed. A representative of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) spoke about the need for people-oriented design and discussed an ongoing project to map Jakarta’s public transport system and determine where should be prioritised for the construction of sidewalks. Another ITDP representative spoke about bike sharing programs, praising them as a form of sustainable, environmentally friendly transport which encourages a healthy lifestyle. The implementation of bike sharing programs in Jakarta was praised although the dangers caused by a lack of bike lanes were also recognised. Carlo Manik from the Jabodetabek Transportation Management Agency (BPTJ) spoke about the Push and Pull Strategy the BPTJ had implemented, a strategy that both Dr Singh and David Ingham had recommended cities introduce in their presentations.
Participants conducted a site visit to learn about GOWES, a bike sharing company in South Tangerang, they commuted using the Trans Anggrek part of the cities sustainable urban transport system. GOWES seeks to encourage the use of bikes amongst students and for other short trips. Participants were given a chance to test ride the bikes and learned about how the service works. At the end of the conference attendees split into groups to discuss recommendations for the development of urban public transport in the host city, South Tangerang, action plans for several Indonesian cities and the topic and location for the next forum. The forum also resulted in recommendations for the National Government, including enhancing local governments’ capacity in establishing urban mobility plans and to provide incentives for developing integrated mobility systems. Local government were encouraged to work together to coordinate urban transport so that they function across administrative boundaries.