Urban Transport Strategy. Management in Developing Countries John A Cracknell, страница 30

4.1.1.      Planning, implementation, operation, maintenance and regulation of city transport is a highly complex process encompassing numerous modes, users, agencies and the framework within which the system functions.  Above all, urban transport is a highly political and visible activity.  Failure to deliver an acceptable transport system is immediately evident to transport system users – passenger queues, traffic congestion, slow journey times, accidents, poor traffic related environment and so on are immediately evident.  Concerns by users of poor quality transport systems are usually high on the list of complaints against a city administration.

4.1.2.      Achieving a balance between competing transport modes and interests relies on

competent transport institutions working within a clearly defined framework of responsibilities.  While, there is no single, ideal or model institutional framework for traffic and transport administration, in broad terms, a city must have an organisational framework which deals with the basic functions of:

a)  Strategic Transport Planning –, development of transport strategies within the urban development context leading to realistic policies, short and long term investment programs and so on;

b)  Infrastructure for Transport - planning, design, financing, construction and maintenance of road, public transport and other transport infrastructure;

c)  Public Transport - development of the public transport system including planning, design, management, regulation, licensing, franchising and, in rare cases, operation

(there are still some public sector operations – both effective and non-effective);

d)  Traffic Operations and Management - management of roads and road use for all vehicular and non-vehicular modes-users including planning, design, implementation, operation, maintenance etc; and

e)  Regulations - enforcement of traffic regulations, driver and vehicle licensing, vehicle testing etc.

4.1.3.      Cities organise in many ways to address these functions.  The institutional structure for any city is determined by its particular political and cultural context and by city size and capacity and there are no universally applicable arrangements.  The potential for change or improvement  depends very much on current institutional arrangements or “starting point” within a city.  The range of organisational arrangements is almost infinite government ministries, government departments, metropolitan transport authorities, public transit authorities, independent commissions, institutes, municipal departments, local/district agencies, task forces and many other agencies are used.  Agencies need

not, and most do not, carry out all functions themselves – many functions are outsourced while remaining under the supervision of the responsible agency.

4.2         Traffic Management Organization

4.2.1.      Efficient traffic management and operations requires a competent, professional agency working within a well-defined institutional structure.  Institutional arrangement for traffic management is the key element of a successful traffic management system.  In many developing cities (for the reasons discussed in this Chapter), institutional arrangements for traffic management are weak and often city governments do not recognize the importance.  However, even in cities where traffic management responsibilities are clearly defined and a "traffic agency" has the requisite powers, unless that agency has adequate professional capabilities and capacity then again, traffic schemes and policies cannot be implemented.  Thus, capacity building for traffic management must embrace both "Institutional Arrangements" and "Training and Human Resources for Traffic Management" (Chapter 5).  Unless a traffic management agency has both the necessary (i) status, powers and funding and (ii) technical capability (or can contract that capability), traffic management schemes and policies cannot succeed.