Travel Woes

"The right to access to every building in the city by private motorcar, in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle, is actually the right to destroy the city" -Lewis Mumford

                Cities are characterized by a concentration of economic activities and are, therefore, supported by transport systems. The above photograph shows the buses used for public transportation based in a transportation hub in Port of Spain, known as City Gate. It was taken on an early weekday morning when, evidently, a number of the buses were not yet discharged to be used. To combat congestion and accommodate the daily influx of individuals that commute to the city for economic, social or educational purposes, an efficient transportation service is required. The organization responsible for public transportation in T&T is the Public Transport Service Commission (PTSC). The PTSC aims to provide “safe, reliable, efficient, effective, environmentally sound and socially responsive transportation solutions”. It operates between the hours of 5:00 am to 11:00 pm from Mondays through Saturday and from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on Sundays in an attempt to provide an all-rounded service of easy travel for all, including the differently-abled (Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 2014). In addition to this, privately-owned maxi-taxis, as well as cars are located at maxi/ taxi stands on various streets of the capital to enhance the daily efficiency of transport. Furthermore, the government has also implemented the use of the Water Taxi, for transportation efficiency across longer distances, such as Port of Spain to San Fernando.

                However, daily congestion within the city often overwhelms the transportation system. This hinders urban mobility and poses a problem for urban environments (Rodrigue, 2014) as the productive capacity of cities depends on the efficiency of the transport system for the ease of movement of its resources i.e. the labour force, consumers, as well as freight. In Port of Spain, pedestrian congestion, as previously discussed, is a usual occurrence, after which transit systems such as City Gate and the Petit Valley Maxi Stand become densely overcrowded. This mainly takes place during weekdays, particularly at rush hour i.e. 7:00-9:00 am and 4:00-6:00 pm, when majority of the population commutes to and from work and school. From personal experience, commuting during these hours forced me to travel in the midst of crowdedness and discomfort. Also, travel time is lengthened as it often takes long hours for transport to arrive or the mad rush for every oncoming maxi/taxi leaves you standing behind, only to wait for another. This not only affects the environment through pollution i.e. noise, as well as air pollution from increased exhaust emissions, but exacerbates the woes of public commuting. Therefore, I can vouch for the frustrations that commuters face on a day to day basis.  

Furthermore, the evident traffic congestion on the nation’s roads makes it almost impossible for the use of non-motorized transport, such as bicycles. The physical design of the roads themselves neglects this activity as there is lack of an established bike lane, throughout the country. Nevertheless, the government aims at enhancing public transportation, as can be seen by the development of the Priority Bus Route that facilitates efficient transportation along the east-west corridor. However, this too can be seen as a double edged sword as it involves significant land consumption which is devoted only to transportation, therefore neglecting other aspects of societal needs. Even so, public transport services, particularly within the city, are necessary. But let’s ask ourselves, what use is an efficient public transport system if congested roads don’t allow us to go anywhere?

References:

Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. "Bus Routes, Schedules and Fares." Trinidad and Tobago Government Portal. Last modified 2014. http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/Non-ResidentDetail/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/gortt/wcm/connect/gortt+web+content/TTConnect/Non-National/Topic/TravelandTourism/Getting+Around+in+Trinidad+and+Tobago/Bus+Routes%2C+Schedules+and+Fares.

Rodrigue, Dr. Jean-Paul. "Urban Transport Problems." Hofstra People. Last modified 2014. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c4en.html.