Promotion Of Public Transport Research Articles

Assessing the Additional Benefits of Thailand’s Approaches to Reduce Motor Vehicle Emissions

Air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) represent major challenges in our era, contributing to climate change and global health issues. These problems arise from a variety of well-known sources, including motor vehicles. Almost all nations, Thailand included, have formulated and implemented policies to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the requirements and commitments of the Paris Agreement. The evaluation of specific air pollutants and GHG emissions originating from road vehicles utilises the Thailand database, referencing the year 2019. Data intersections from 2019 to 2022 are grounded in actual data collected from relevant departments in Thailand, while projections for 2023–2030 are forecasted based on the baseline year. The secondary database used in the International Vehicle Emission model is adjusted according to real-world driving data to accurately reflect country-specific emission factors. Dynamic emission factors for specific air pollutants and GHGs are evaluated and integrated with the average Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) for each vehicle category. The Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario is then examined, based on existing policies aimed at reducing air pollutants and GHG emissions in Thailand’s transport sector. These policies include strategies for the adoption of electric vehicles and the promotion of public transport to reduce VKT. Under the BAU scenario, the overall number of road vehicles in Thailand, including passenger cars, motorcycles, pickups, vans, trucks, and buses, is expected to increase by approximately 6.58% by 2030, leading to a rise in specific air pollutants and GHG emissions compared to the 2019 baseline. However, by adhering to Thailand’s strategies and transitioning to new electric passenger cars and buses, greenhouse gas emissions and specific air pollutants from the road transport sector will be significantly reduced.

Uncovering the dynamics of atmospheric aerosols in China: A comprehensive analysis of OMI-Retrieved aerosol index data

China faces severe atmospheric problems due to the rapid increase in population and industrialization. Therefore, due to the insufficient number of monitoring stations in such a vast country, remote sensing of an ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) provides useful information about absorbing aerosols. This study used the OMI-retrieved UVAI data to investigate the spatial patterns, trends, and periodic nature of UVAI over China from October 2004 to December 2022. Additionally, the correlation and degree of coherence of UVAI with meteorological parameters (temperature & precipitation) and anthropogenic factors (Construction, population, CO2 emission, energy consumption, and primary industry) are also examined. Mean UVAI concentration with an increasing trend of 4.34% per year shows high UVAI values (0.70–1.41) in Xinjiang Uygar followed by Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Beijing, Hubei, and some northern regions i.e., Gansu, Qinghai, and western Nel Mongol. Seasonally, Xinjiang Uygur experiences high UVAI (<1.52) values during all four seasons with the dominance of both fine and coarse mode particles. Moreover, Hubei, Gansu, Jilin, Shandong, and Xinjiang Uygar experiences high UVAI values i.e. 2.55, 2.05, 1.87, 2.82, 2.27 during 2021 with an increasing trend of 5.50% year−1, 5.43% year−1, 3.82% year−1, 4.73% year−1, and 9.33% year−1 respectively. The HYSPLIT backward trajectories plotted at altitudes of 50m, 100m, and 500m indicate the dominance of desert dust over Jinan, Urumqi, and Lanzhou while anthropogenic pollutants over Wuhan and Changchun. Wavelet coherence (WTC) shows the positive correlation of UVAI with temperature and precipitation. Moreover, the co-variability of absorbing aerosols with anthropogenic and natural factors is also inculcated in this study. Considering the outcomes of this study it will help policymakers to analyze the variability of absorbing aerosols in China and different methods like plantation of more trees, efficient fuel consumption, and promotion of public transport, etc., can be used to reduce air pollution.

Zoning of Dust Heavy Metals in Arak Plain Using Pollution Indicators and Geographic Information System (GIS)

Background: In regions with heightened pollutant concentrations, especially in industrial and urban areas, dust plays a crucial role in carrying complex metal components, posing environmental challenges and health risks. This study utilized pollution indicators and geographic information system (GIS) to delineate the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the Arak plain. Methods: Dust samples from 30 stations across the Arak plain were systematically collected through random sampling. Analysis using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-OES) allowed the calculation of pollution indices (PI) and the Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI) for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe). GIS generated spatial distribution maps depicting metal pollution. Results: The average concentrations were 45.5 mg/kg for Pb, 10.7 mg/kg for Zn, 0.47 mg/kg for Cu, 30.8 mg/kg for Ni, and 0.206 mg/kg for Fe. Analysis of PI, NIPI, and spatial distribution maps revealed heightened pollution in the northeast, center, south, and southwest areas of the Arak plain, attributed to human activities like heavy vehicle traffic, high population density, concentrated agriculture, and specific industrial operations. Conclusion: The study recommends mitigation strategies, including biological methods like phytoremediation, promotion of public transportation, mandatory environmental standards for industries, and encouragement of green practices. These initiatives aim to address and reduce environmental pollution in the Arak plain.

The Examination of different Air Constituents to Ascertain Pune City's Air Quality

The city of Pune experiences poor air quality, leading to research of various air constituents in order to assess the overall quality of the air. Significant pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10 (RSPM), NO2, O3, SO2, and CO are addressed in this analysis, along with their causes and consequences. Exceeding WHO standards, levels of PM2.5 constitute a severe problem; NO2 and O3 levels constitute grounds for concern. In order to mitigate such pollutants and obtain cleaner air in Pune City, the research stresses the necessity for more difficult emission control measures, the promotion of public transportation and electric vehicles, and the supervision of industrial and construction activity. The objective of this research is to evaluate Pune City's air quality and offer insights by thoroughly examining various air quality elements. An extensive tracking strategy is analyzed for three years (2022, 2023, and 2024), considering air quality components like RSPM (PM10), PM-2.5,NO2, O3, etc. Various graphs are analyzed for the above-mentioned years and observe the growth in air quality index for Pune city. In the last three years, data has been collected from government websites on a monthly basis, and various graphs have been plotted by considering their average value. All the graphs show an increase in the air quality index. The study's findings provide valuable new information on the present state of the air quality in Pune City and emphasize the urgent need for effective air quality management measures. To mitigate air pollution, maintain public health, and maintain environmental sustainability, initiatives must concentrate on emissions control, planning for cities, enhancing public transportation, and creating green infrastructure in Pune City.

Research and innovation paving the way for climate neutrality in urban transport: Analysis of 362 cities on their journey to zero emissions

The EU Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities is an ambitious initiative aiming to involve a wide range of stakeholders and deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. We analysed the information submitted in the expressions of interest by 362 candidate cities. The majority of the cities’ strategies for climate neutrality include urban transport as a main sector and combine the introduction of new technologies with the promotion of public transport and active mobility. We combined the information from the EU Mission candidate cities with data from the CORDIS and TRIMIS databases, and applied a clustering algorithm to measure proximity to foci of H2020 funding. Our results suggest that preparedness for the EU Mission is correlated with research and innovation activities on transport and mobility. Horizon 2020 activities specific to transport and mobility significantly increased the likelihood of a city to be a candidate. Among the various transport technology research pathways, smart mobility appears to have a major role in the development of solutions for climate neutrality.

Social networking as a communication tool for public transport companies in voivodship cities

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the changes in the use and basic advantages of social networks in the communication of public transport companies in voivodship cities. Design/methodology/approach: The study carried out consisted of analysing the content of the official websites belonging to the selected public transport service companies in order to see how the information on the social networks used (location of plug-ins) is shared, and a review of the active profiles on these sites was carried out to diagnose what content is published. The survey was conducted in October 2023. The results were cross-referenced with the corresponding survey carried out in 2017. Findings: The survey showed that of the 24 companies analysed from 18 cities, 20 use at least one of the social networks. The most common is Facebook - 19 companies have a profile, followed by YouTube - 9, Instagram - 7 and Twitter 5. 2 companies have profiles on 4 sites at the same time, 4 on 3 sites, 11 have 3 official profiles on different social networks, another 7 companies have 2 each and also 7 have one each. In the case of 4 entities, no profiles were found on social networks. The content, frequency and timeliness of publications on the profiles vary. Research limitations/implications: Social networks that were less popular at the time of writing (e.g. TikTok - official profiles were identified in 2 cases among the companies surveyed) were not included in the study. The objectives of the communication strategies of the individual entities are not known. This may be part of further research through in-depth interviews with those responsible for promoting the companies. It may also be possible to extend the research to other operators (e.g. inter-municipal, railway, smaller cities, etc.) and among the target audiences of the communication activities in particular services. Practical implications: On the basis of the author's audit of the communication activities of public transport companies on social networks, this article suggests that the use of social media is an appropriate tactic in the communication of companies (including municipal companies), both in the promotional dimension externally and in communication with citizens - service users, due to the participatory, interactive and open nature of social media. Originality/value: The publication presents the results of research carried out on the basis of the author's audit of the activity of the public transport companies from the voivodship's cities in the social media. Keywords: social media, city marketing, public transport, public transport promotion, marketing communication. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Mapping of Vehicular Emission of Ring Road Kathmandu, Nepal and Its Impact on Human Health

The research is an outline of vehicular emission of Ring Road, Kathmandu, Nepal and it’s impact on general public’s health. Nepal has ranked 16th position out of 131 countries in terms of worst air quality. Kathmandu has 8 times higher the WHO annual air quality guideline value in PM2.5 concentration in 2022. This research has been conducted using quantitative method, the primary data was recorded by using open Seneca air quality monitoring device for the real-time measurement of PM2.5. Similarly, For PM10the data was collected by recording the vehicle passing through the selected sites. The study comprises that particle pollution is maximum in Shankhapark and minimum in Sinamangal. This study then estimates the emission of PM2.5&amp; and PM10 by different vehicles such as: two-wheeler, bus/truck, minibus, taxi/car, jeep/van/microbus. The maximum amount of PM2.5 was emitted by gasoline vehicle including two-wheeler, taxi/car and minimum amount by bus/truck, minibus, jeep/van/microbus. Similarly, maximum amount of PM10 was emitted by bus/truck, minibus, jeep/van/microbus and minimum by two-wheeler and taxi/car. It was found that, the particulate matter (PM) doesn’t comply with the standard given by NAAQS, WHO and NVMES. The results are higher than that of standard given by NAAQS, WHO and NVMES. The study concludes that increase in particle pollution is caused by increase in different types of vehicles in the city and still using old vehicle for transportation. It also recommends for the use of electric vehicle, better quality fuels (high octane) in fuel station, promotion of public transportation and enforcement of high euro emission standard for the control of vehicular emission.

PM10 emissions from tires: A disruptive estimate questioning present pollution mitigation strategies

Emissions from automotive internal combustion engines in the form of exhaust gases from the combustion of gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas are widely recognized to represent the primary source of atmospheric PM10 pollution. Technological progresses in the design and manufacturing of road transport engines is progressively focusing toward both increasing their performance and energy efficiency and reducing their environmental impact.PM10 production from tires has significantly increased in the last ten years. The present study aims at assessing the contribution to atmospheric PM10 pollution from tires and its overall environmental impact. More specifically, we aim at estimating this contribution in the top 10 populated cities in Italy. The research focuses on the years 2018 and 2020. Results indicate that atmospheric PM contribution from tires is larger than the contribution from exhausted gases (for example, 12.5 times larger in Bologna in 2018, 13.9 in Firenze in 2020, 11.8 in Torino in 2020) and that cities where tires' PM10 concentrations are larger than those from exhaust gas passed from 4 in 2018 to 6 in 2020. This implies the need to define specific mitigation strategies aimed at reducing PM10 emissions from tires, pushing toward the production of lighter vehicles, the use of narrower wheels and the promotion of public transport on rail and micro-mobility devices. The verification of results is based on the comparison between the total amount of PM10 particles emitted by vehicles’ tire, normalized by the surface of each municipality, and the measured PM10 mean annual concentrations.

Sustainable Development and Public Transport in Haryana

This study examined the efficiency of public transport in Haryana from 2015-16 to 2020-21 in cognisance of the sustainable development aspect. The depots of the state roadways are considered as decision-making units. The study employed the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique for estimating the scores of the overall technical efficiency (OTE) and pure technical efficiency (PTE) of decision-making units (DMUs) by using three inputs— fleet size, total staff and bus utilisation. The study considered the total daily passengers transported and effective kilometres covered for the output. Further, along with the efficiency measurement, each depot’s total number of accidents has been collected to measure safety. The findings estimated the mean value of the PTE score for all depots, which turns out to be 0.91, indicating that to improve the managerial efficiency of the entire public transport of the state, the depots need to increase the output by 9 per cent. The average OTE score of all selected units is 0.89, reflecting that these DMUs have 89 per cent worked efficiently from 2015-16 to 2020-21. The efficiency score is based on output-oriented issues, meaning that inputs will be constant for total efficiency. The study recommends the promotion of public transport based on sustainability and efficiency in the State of Haryana.

How do energy supply and energy use link to environmental degradation in China?

China's energy supply and energy use are closely linked to environmental degradation. The country's heavy reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as its rapidly growing demand for energy, have contributed to air and water pollution, soil erosion, and other environmental problems. To address these issues, China must transition to cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy and implement policies to reduce energy demand and promote conservation. This paper explores the impacts of total primary energy supply and energy use on environmental degradation in China, using international trade and economic growth as moderating variables from 1971 to 2019. The results indicate that the total primary energy supply is significant at a 1% significance level, which suggests that it strongly impacts the ecological footprint. Energy use and international trade are significant at a 5% level, indicating that they also influence ecological footprint, albeit to a lesser extent. Economic growth is significant at a 1% significance level, suggesting a strong positive association with the ecological footprint. Energy supply improves the environment in China, whereas energy use degrades the environment. Policymakers should focus on promoting energy efficiency in the industrial and transportation sectors. This can be achieved through the implementation of energy-saving technologies, the promotion of public transportation, and the development of low-carbon transportation systems.

Interaction between attribute importance and user satisfaction on the promotion of public transport

Latin American countries have common characteristics: increase in automobile use, and decrease in the interest of users for public transport by bus caused by unsustainable urban mobility. Of these, users’ interest in public transport by bus has the most significant potential for sustainable transport changes. Therefore, this paper aimed to understand how the interaction between the importance and satisfaction of users to transport attributes can help promote the increase in the passengers’ transport demand in medium-sized cities of developing countries. The interaction between the users’ stated importance and the users’ satisfaction for automobile and public transport by bus was analyzed regarding attributes of safety, comfort, transport costs, and travel time. The study was performed in the city of Barreiras, state of Bahia, Brazil. Likert scale data analysis used three approaches that set unique importance and satisfaction ratings employed on the graphic tool Importance-Performance Analysis. It was concluded that interaction between the data of importance and satisfaction is effective, reliable, and allows the comparative analysis between the transport attributes, enabling the prioritization of strategies that help the promotion of passenger transport.

Transportation Oriented Development Method: literature review

Cities are a wealth production system that attract more and more people in search of a better lifestyle. Migration to cities affects the demand for more housing, services and facilities that, in many cases, imply uncontrolled urban growth, an increase in the number of vehicles, processes of social segregation and effects on natural systems. Indeed, cities are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, one of the causes of climate change. Transportation Oriented Development (TOD) is an urban planning model that considers higher density, mixed land use, promotion of public transportation and also promotes a walkable and cycleable environment. This study aims to identify the characteristics of TOD that, from various studies, contribute to the construction of a more efficient and equitable city. The objective is to identify and define the characteristics that build this urban planning approach. A review of the state of the art was carried out in two phases: the first consisted of a bibliometric review based on the Vosviewer software and in the second, 28 articles published in high-impact journals were reviewed according to the Scimago ranking. The results indicate that several of the characteristics of TOD overlap in several studies and that others are not considered at a general level and should be strengthened.

Sustainability evaluation methods for public transport with a focus on Latin American cities: A literature review

Stakeholders worldwide commit to the goal of sustainable development and transport, and to the promotion of public transport (PT) as one backbone of sustainable transport. Evaluation frameworks have been developed to aid municipalities and operators in purposefully shaping their PT systems. These frameworks differ greatly in their scope and consideration of the different sustainability dimensions, and in addition, they focus on industrialized countries. The goal of this study is to provide a systematic overview of existing frameworks for evaluating the sustainability of PT systems with a particular focus on Latin America for the first time, to identify possible gaps that result from the specific characteristics of Latin American PT systems and finally to derive research needs and recommendations for this region. The analysis includes three types of articles: scientific papers, international guidelines published by NGOs, and local as well as national Latin American guidelines for PT evaluation. The 69 identified relevant references reveal that Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM), followed by Assessment Indicator Models (AIM) are the preferred evaluation frameworks. Among the MCDM methods, the Analytical Hierarchy Process was the most frequently approach. We found a high prevalence of studies taking society and municipalities’ perspective (both 46%), followed by combinations (users, operators, municipalities − 37%), and the users’ perspective (14%). The review further shows that the Latin American context is not sufficiently considered in the existing frameworks and that further research is needed to develop frameworks that comprehensively and systematically consider all sustainability dimensions for this specific spatial context.

A Microsimulation Modelling Approach to Quantify Environmental Footprint of Autonomous Buses

In this study a novel microsimulation-based methodology for environmental assessment of urban systems is developed to address the performance of autonomous mass-mobility against conventional approaches. Traffic growth and microsimulation models, calibrated using real data, are utilised to assess four traffic management scenarios: business-as-usual; public bus transport case; public-bus rapid transit (BRT) case; and, a traffic-demand-responsive-autonomous-BRT case, focusing on fuel energy efficiency, headways, fleet control and platooning for lifecycle analysis (2015–2045) of a case study 3.5 km long 5-lane dual-carriageway section. Results showed that both energy consumption and exhaust emission rates depend upon traffic volume and flow rate factors of vehicle speed-time curves; acceleration-deceleration; and braking rate. The results measured over-reliance of private cars utilising fossil fuel that cause congestions and high environmental footprint on urban roads worsen causing excessive travel times. Public transport promotion was found to be an effective and easy-to-implement environmental burden reduction strategy. Results showed significant potential of autonomous mass-mobility systems to reduce environmental footprint of urban traffic, provided adequate mode-shift can be achieved. The study showed utility of microsimulations for energy and emissions assessment, it linked bus network performance assessment with environmental policies and provided empirical models for headway and service frequency comparisons at vehicle levels. The developed traffic fleet operation prediction methodology for long-term policy implications and tracking models for accurate yearly simulation of real-world vehicle operation profiles are applicable for other sustainability-oriented urban traffic management studies.

Comparative life cycle impact assessment of electric and conventional bus in Vietnam

Transportation is one of the key sectors causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution. With the substantial increase in passenger and freight transportation, the corresponding GHG emissions and air pollutants are expected to increase significantly. Recent global and national policies are targeting at reducing environmental impacts of transportation activities. The promotion of public transportation and development of electric buses (e-buses) will reduce the use of fossil fuels in transportation, and consequently, reduce GHG emissions. This study assesses the life cycle GHG emissions and other environmental impacts of e-bus, and compares them with those of conventional bus operated in Vietnam. The results indicate that e-bus is a preferred choice in most of studied environmental impact categories over the whole life cycle such as GHG emission, ozone depletion, ozone formation, fine particulate matter formation, acidification, etc. For GHG emissions, the adoption of electric mobility will reduce 42.62 gCO2eq per passenger km of carbon footprint if conventional buses are substituted by e-buses in Vietnam.

The Promotion of Public Transport to Decongest the Traffic From Metro Areas of Mumbai Metropolitan Region

The article explains evolution of transportation sector and concept of public transport. It links with the transportation scenarios in India and Mumbai as a case. The importance of public transportation in India and Mumbai is explained by quoting various numerical datasets published by authorities and research agencies. The development of public transport sector will mostly depend upon the total number of private vehicles and registrations. In Mumbai, currently the trend of using public transport is decreasing while on other hand private vehicles registration is increasing day by day. Proposed transportation projects of MMRDA will give relief to the internal traffic if implemented on time. But still they need to be supported by the additional planning interventions such as planning for industrial areas, business centers and growth centers on periphery of MMR. New transportation modes are required to be experimented since existing modes are insufficient to handle the public transport demand of MMR. The proposed waterway project, need for new airports and integration of last mile connectivity through public transport is emphasized relating to the proposed projects of MMRDA.

An integrated framework for the improvement of school bus services: Understanding commuters’ perceptions for sustainable school bus transportation

Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 inter-related goals adopted by the United Nations for a better and sustainable future for all. These goals aim to improve the standard of living broadly through better education, environmental consciousness, poverty reduction, equality, good health and sustainable cities and communities. There is a need to provide access to quality education through provision of transportation systems to help students reach the schools comfortably. Previous researches give evidence that commute to school affects the overall efficiency at school. Also, transportation is one of the significant contributors to air pollution, a key concern in metropolitan cities. Promotion of public transport is one of the effective measures to combat pollution and make transport sustainable. School-related transportation, an underexplored aspect in developing countries, holds a significant share of transportation-related pollution and congestion. The overall aim of this work is to design a sustainable school bus transportation system by integrating the views of experts, bus users and non-bus users through a two-step implementable improvement framework. In the first step, we rank the service attributes using the fuzzy best-worst method. The second step deals with the analysis of commuter (bus and non-bus users) perceptions by means of statistical tools such as logistic regression and non-parametric tests. Later, we combine these to formulate an integrated school transportation policy. The framework is empirically tested on parents of bus users and non-bus users of a school who represent various parts of Delhi, India. The results are encouraging and indicate good amount of savings in distance travelled by personal vehicles if non-bus users shift to school buses. The framework can be replicated by schools to improve their bus services and attract non-bus users to school buses.

Assessing economic, social and environmental impacts on housing prices in Hong Kong: a time-series study of 2006, 2011 and 2016.

Given Hong Kong’s unique high-density urban environment and limited land resources, more and more general public has been concerned about the living quality. Based on three waves of census data (2006, 2011 and 2016), combined with our spatial–temporal urban environmental database consisting of three local datasets of urban climate and air quality, this paper assesses the impacts of social, economic and environmental factors on the logarithm of housing prices in Hong Kong through linear regression analysis. Specifically, both supply- and demand-side economic factors have significant impacts on housing prices. Demographic factors are not as significant as expected in affecting housing prices. Transportation factors have more significant effects in the short run than in the long run. Environmental factors, including the number of hot night hours, Annual Air Quality Index (AAQI) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulates with particle sizes less than 10 microns (PM10), significantly affect housing prices over time. The results have important implications: current policy instruments to prevent housing price escalation are focused on increasing property tax or land supply (economic factors), while little attention is paid to social or environmental factors, which are geographically heterogeneous. Our findings suggest that housing provision in the New Territories may be a feasible solution to alleviate the housing crisis as its demographic pattern, transportation connectivity and air quality are significantly different from Hong Kong Island or Kowloon Peninsula. In regard to urban environmental problems brought by the high-density development in Hong Kong despite land-use saving, intensified urban infrastructure and promotion of public transportation, our study contributes to the understanding of its housing price dynamics from a more holistic perspective by comparing the impacts of economic, social and environmental factors.

Walking for transportation in large Latin American cities: walking-only trips and total walking events and their sociodemographic correlates

ABSTRACT Walking for transportation is a common and accessible means of achieving recommended physical activity levels, while providing important social and environmental co-benefits. Even though walking in rapidly growing urban areas has become especially challenging given the increasing dependence on motorised transportation, walking remains a major mode of transportation in Latin American cities. In this paper we aimed to quantify self-reported walking for transportation in Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires, by identifying both walking trips that are conducted entirely on foot and walking events involved in trips mainly conducted on other means of transportation (e.g. private vehicle, public transit) among individuals ≥5-years old. We show how walking-only trips account for approximately 30% trips in the analysed cities, and we evidence how the pedestrian dimension of mobility is largely underestimated if walking that is incidental to other transportation modes is not accounted for: when considering all walking events, we observed an increase between 73% and 217% in daily walking time. As a result, we estimated that between 19% and 25% of residents in these cities meet the WHO physical activity guidelines solely from walking for transportation. The results of the study also suggest that the promotion of public transportation in large Latin American cities can especially help certain population groups achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity, while among low-income groups accessibility and safety seem to be the key challenges to be addressed.

Traffic flow rate on Kigali roads: a case of national roads (RN1 and RN3)

Traffic flow study plays a key important in various functionalities of cities all over the world. The study of traffic flow is also viewed as an essential facility of the country when it wants to establish traffic operations patterns in the progress of road planning. Blockages are accountable for a sequence of harmful effects such as loss of time, scheduling difficulties, carbon dioxide production, and risks of accidents as well as external expenses. Besides, inadequate transportation facilities and increased traffic volume hamper urban development, especially in developing nations. The objective of the study was to assess the traffic flow state in two selected national roads of Kigali city. The traffic data were collected from 5 am to 8 pm on two National Roads (RN1 and RN3). The relationship between density and flow rate was analyzed using the fundamental diagram of traffic flow. It was found that the peak hours were from 6 am to 8 am and 5 pm to 8 pm. The highest number of vehicles counted were motorcycles due to shortcuts taken to reduce travel time. The results on RN3 revealed a proportion increase of traffic flow and density in the free-flow regime from 0 to maximum flow of 3346.6 veh/h correspondent to a critical density of 114.9 veh/km. However, in the congested zone regime, there was a decrease in traffic flow and an increase in density. It was found that the curve of flow versus density tended to increase on-road RN1. This study proposed the promotion of public transport and e-commerce as strategies to mitigate the congestion. Also, further research may be carried out on all roads of Kigali city, to provide the level of congestion useful for traffic deviation accordingly.