A SHARP U-turn is required to change the potholed course of urban traffic.

Across Asia "urban areas are groaning under the strain of increased motorization, and projections suggest this will only get worse," observes a new book released this week by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

"Attempts to build our way out of the problem by providing more roads and parking space will simply lead to problems on a larger scale," it says.

"There is another route where traffic is managed, mass transit systems developed, non-motorized modes encouraged, urban planning designed to support transport investment (and vice versa), slower travel speeds adopted, and low-emission vehicles used as the major share of the vehicle market."

The book – Changing Course in Urban Transport: An Illustrated Guide – provides a rich collection of images of urban transport schemes. It is published by the ADB and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeite (GIZ).

http://www.malaya.com.ph/dec09/envi1.html