It can be quite a frustrating task as a commuter to endure the ritualistic problem of traffic and not just any traffic, but the stand still type. Within the urban areas this has been a mandatory occurance especially at peak hours. That is between 7:00am to 8:00 am, 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 4:00pm.
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| The Wharf San Fernando: 09/04/2013 Mobility in the city is much more convenient by foot . The majority of commuters use public transport to get into and out of the city. It is a relief that a system was put in place which was the use of large buses to get into and out of the city which reduces the traffic problem to some extent.
The Theory
(Jarvis et al. 2001) states that mobility is the ability to move around the city and is a necessity. it is part of the complex dimension of everyday life. The emphasis is place more on the Global North having private car ownership. This can cause social, economic and environmental issues. Therefore transport itself does not just shape the city but can impact on an ecological standpoint, societal and cultural standpoint as well. For example the social impact can be road traffic causing death and injury among the urban population (Short and Pinet- Peralta 2010).
Substitution for using cars
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- Linking Trips : Make one trip to complete various tasks.
- Time Switching: Travel can be done in off- peak hours when there is less congestion to reduce travel time.
- Mode switching: Using alternative modes of transport instead of just a car.
- Destination switching: Create more local destinations than distant ones.
- Technology: Replace physical travel by electronic communication.
Looking at mobility more critically (Sheller and Urry 2006) talks about urban life depending on various :urban platforms for example petrol station, roads and car parks. They exist because of mobility in the city. This movement is part of the social and cultural life of the urban spaces and the various structures that sustain this mobility.
The Video
References:
Javis H., Pratt A.C. and Cheng-Chong P. (2001). The secret life of cities: The social reproduction of everyday life. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Sheller M. and Urry J. (2006). The new mobilities paradigm.Environment and planning A
Short J.R. and Pinet -Peralta L.M. (2010). No accident: traffic and pedestrians in the modern city. Mobilities. 5 (1): 41-59.
Access to transport is a real concern for some people and differential access does affect participation in what are considered normal activities. Transport does affect some individuals ability to participate in what is deemed normal.although it was indicated here that mobility around the city was convenient by foot it is clear that many persons prefer avoiding the sweat and using a maxi or other forms of transport. it was interesting that a number of strategies were outlined for substitution of cars. although this was geared to the problem of rush hour times it can also be directly linked positively to the environment in terms of carbon emissions into the atmosphere which is related to global climate change.
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