Transportation is the process of moving goods, and people from one place to another using different modes and means of transport (Pansare., Kenjale., Salunke, and Jagtap., 2017). The main importance of transportation in both Kenya and the rest of the world is to facilitates the movement of production resources to where there are needed and to facilitates the movement of finished goods from the production sites to where the customers need them. The whole process necessitates trade which is the main segment in the development of any economy in all the parts of the world. The main objective of this report is to compare light rail transport system and the use of vehicles most the mega buses in the transportation system citing their cost efficiency and environmental effects. Finally, the document will recommend the system which is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective to the Kenyan government.
Background Information.
The state of the transportation system in Kenya is in not in good state due to the state of the roads and railways available in the country. Comparing the level of development of the country and the available mechanisms for transportation Kenya needs to improve transportation systems more importantly to reduce traffic jams. Currently, road transport is the most used. The means is not accessible by all the people because we have many regions within the country where the roads are not tarmacked hence impassable during rainy seasons. The bus sector normally isn’t reliable at all times since their terms of operations keep on changing. They have no fixed timetable nor fixed fare. Such situations inconvenience so many people during times of travelling. The government is also spending too much finances in the construction of the roads and acquisition of the vessels. The roads systems also affects the environment regarding air and noise pollution. This generally affects the climatic condition of the country. It's therefore important for the Kenyan government to develop better transport mechanisms which are cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Mostly, the main areas which are affected by the current transportation systems in Kenya are the urban towns. There is too much noise and air pollution, and this calls for immediate implementation of either train system within the towns or use of bicycle sharing systems.
Proposed Transport Systems.
The Standard Gauge Railway System.
This is one of the system of transport which can help a developing country like Kenya since its cost effective when constructed to cover only the urban centres but not for long distances like they have done. The system is also environmentally friendly and moreover reliable to the customers regarding fare and time. The main challenge with such a plan is the survey for the railway lines since within the towns there is no survey for such lines (Profillidis., 2016).
Bicycle Sharing System.
This is a transportation system mostly used by people to ride from one place to another. Bicycle sharing system is working so well in China and Spain.
The system can work so effectively in the Kenyan cities. Given the current scenarios in the cities especially the traffic jams, there is an urgent need for the Kenyan government to come up with a transportation system which can reduce the traffic jams and congestions in the cities.
The introduction of the bike-sharing transportation system can be one of the most effective since its environmentally friendly and cost-effective (Woodcock., Tainio., Cheshire., O’Brien and Goodman., 2014). Research which was carried out between 2005-2009 in La Rochelle indicated that; out of 600 respondents who were involved in 2008, 94 % of them were for the opinion that bicycle sharing is the most effective means of transportation within the cities. In 2007, in the same region, 6000 trips of cars were avoided and instead people used bicycles. The number of car-kilometre avoided during that period can be estimated to be between 5000-10000 kilometres. There was also reduced consumption of petrol which also implied a reduction in air pollution since CO2 emission was greatly reduced.
Bicycle sharing cost effectiveness and environmental effects.
Cost-effectiveness.
Bicycle system of transport is a simple one. The government will not be required to invest heavily. It all requires construction of fewer roads and parking areas for the bicycles. It’s the most effective system which is reliable to most of the passengers for short distances mostly within the urban centres. A bicycle cost around 50 US dollars, and its maintenance cost is low as compared to the maintenance cost for vehicles and trains. The challenge can be during adverse weather conditions.
Environmental effects.
Bicycles emmet no gases, therefore such a system cannot affect the environment in any way. There is also rare accidents when it comes to the use of bicycles. This means, using bicycle sharing system, the government will not only save on cost but also on the
Comparison Between the Mega Bus and Light Rail Transport Systems.
Requirements for Mega Buses and Light Rail Systems.
Cost factor.
The Kenyan budget is approximately 23 billion US dollars. The main source of Kenya finances is through taxation and government borrowing from external institutions. In a developing country like Kenya, the budget has to cater for every sector in the economy. Transportation sector in the last year budget was allocated an approximate of 2.5 billion US dollars. This implies that the transportation cost is stretching the country’s resources hence need for a cost-effective system (Love., Aliaga-Dagbui., Welde and Odeck., 2017). Construction of a gauge railway within the cities can be even more expensive because of the compensation cost to those who will be affected thus bicycle sharing can be the most appropriate option. The same applies to construction of dual carriage roads within the city which can accommodate a high number of vehicles which are travelling within the towns. The cost is not only inquired in the construction but also in the maintenance of the roads. The structures for light rail line also are expensive regarding the power required and the skilled manpower. Comparing the mega bus system and the light rail system, in Kenya the country is yet to realise the development level of implementing the light rail system. Therefore, it's advisable for the government to choose a system which is cost-effective, environmentally friendly and also reliable to the people.
Environmental factors.
All means of transport which uses fuels emit CO2 which is a poisonous gas. Comparing the bicycle system and the rail system or even the buses system, bicycle system is more friendly to the environment since it causes no harm to the environment. Train system mega bus systems also causes noise pollution which is another reason it needs to be avoided. Across the board, all factors relating to the environment are affected by the use of the all the means which uses fossil fuels as the method of propulsion. The bicycle uses human energy, hence it emits no gases which can pollute the environment. The trains and buses also cause accidents which pollute the welfare of the people and the surrounding environment. In Kenya, so many people have died from accidents. All those are pollutions to the environment (Ettema., Friman., Gärling and Olsson., 2016). The effect is both long term and short term. The more the country carries deforestation to construct roads and rails, the more the climate becomes unfriendly hence the rain patterns become unpredictable. In the long run, the country will be in a state which is not reparable hence causing droughts all through the years.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, from my research and other sources, Kenya is one of the countries in Africa which is developing at a high rate. There is a need for better infrastructure if the company has to maintain such level of growth. Transport is one of the main sectors in infrastructure. The government is trying its best to finance both road and rail transport. The mega bus system of transport seems to be working better in the country. Development of light train system can work best within the cities, but the challenge is the high construction and maintenance cost.
Recommendation.
Generally, the sector of transportation is not doing very poor within Kenya. The only serious challenge is within the main cities where the is congestion due to traffic jam. My opinion can be, since Kenya is still developing and has no strong financial muscles to facilitate light train system, it's better to implement bicycle sharing system which will automatically reduce the traffic jams and also reduce the cost. noise and air pollution within the towns.
Reference List.
Ettema, D., Friman, M., Gärling, T. and Olsson, L.E., 2016. Travel mode use, travel mode shift and subjective well-being: Overview of theories, empirical findings and policy implications. In Mobility, sociability and well-being of urban living (pp. 129-150). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Love, P.E., Aliaga-Dagbui, D., Welde, M. and Odeck, J., 2017. Light rail transit cost performance: Opportunities for future-proofing. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 100, pp.27-39.
Pansare, V.S., Kenjale, V.M., Salunke, M.M. and Jagtap, K.G., 2017. Transit Straddling System Straddling Bus. Journal of Embedded Systems and Processing, 2(1, 2, 3).
Profillidis, V., 2016. Railway management and engineering. Routledge.
Woodcock, J., Vainio, M., Cheshire, J., O’Brien, O. and Goodman, A., 2014. Health effects of the London bicycle sharing system: health impact modelling study. BMJ, 348, p.g425.
