gulfnews : Free Public Transport Day in Dubai hailed a success

Commuters opt for public buses at Satwa bus station. There was a huge increase in passengers on Public Transport Day in Dubai on Tuesday.

gulfnews : Free Public Transport Day in Dubai hailed a success: "Dubai: Free Public Transport Day marked on Tuesday saw a 34 per cent increase in the number of passengers as 693,221 people used public transport compared to 515,828 on the same day last year, a senior RTA official has revealed.
The figure is the highest number of people ever to use public transport in a single day in Dubai.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said the numbers using Dubai Metro, public buses and water buses on Free Public Transport Day fulfilled the purpose of the initiative and hailed it as a success."

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Arab Emirates investing big in public #transit

Sharjah Transport on a makeover trip: "SHARJAH - Sharjah Transport has embarked on an ambitious plan to improve its public transport services, including introducing electronic tracking system, building shaded bus stops and starting or rationalising bus routes."

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Two million sick from Pakistan floods -- Earth Changes -- Sott.net

Two million sick from Pakistan floods -- Earth Changes -- Sott.net: "Two million Pakistanis have fallen ill from diseases since monsoon rains left the southern region under several feet of water, the country's disaster authority said Thursday. "

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New Study: Indian Cities Score Low in Walkability Ratings | TheCityFix

Lack of pedestrian facilities in Indian cities lead to low walkability scores and points to the urgency with which policies must address this neglect. Photo by Satish Krishnamurthy.

New Study: Indian Cities Score Low in Walkability Ratings | TheCityFix: "“Indian cities were built for walking and cycling. However, rapid motorization combined with limited attention to pedestrian facilities has inadvertently resulted in a decrease in the overall mode share for non-motorized transport. Strategies must be incorporated in order for people to reclaim the urban environment overrun by motor vehicles. Policies and investments provide an impetus to transform Indian cities, encourage pedestrianization and allow people to enjoy better mobility and quality of life.”"

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Not all public transit is equal

Straphangers United: "How is that swanky Japanese Metro and Monorail trains to be built at a cost of more than 5 billion dollars in Chennai will co-exist with another set of urban train systems that have filthy station approaches – literally filled with human excrement?"

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Invest 1% GDP to Improve Public Transport - southindia - Andhra Pradesh - ibnlive

Invest 1% GDP to Improve Public Transport - southindia - Andhra Pradesh - ibnlive: "PUDUCHERRY:� The government needs to invest at least one percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in public transport systems to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and reduce emission of green house gases (GHG) to create sustainable cities, said Peter Head, director of Arup.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Regenerative Townships of Tomorrow’, organised at Auroville on Thursday, he said such a measure would reduce GHG by 78 per cent. “Costs of mitigation of around 1% of GDP are small relative to the costs and relative to the risks of climate change that will be avoided,” Peter� said"

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Public transport must be made free for everyone

The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : How free bus passes are being misused: "R. Balasubramanian, a former Managing Director of MTC, says: “Electronic ticketing and smartcards could solve much of the problem as MTC moved away from the token system to avoid printing costs. Public transport must also be made free for everyone and it must be subsidised through a combination of Central and State government assistance. In most U.S. cities, 65 per cent of the public transit expenditure is federally funded. Schemes such as JNNURM must be a continuous process, instead of a one-time grant.”"

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