Southeast Asia faces a grim problem of high transportation and logistics costs owing to lack of efficiency and sustainability in transportation infrastructure. Moreover, transport infrastructure is more susceptible to the adverse impact of climate change. To this end, increasing attention is being given to the concept of sustainable transportation in the region. The need to cut back carbon emissions is also driving up demand for technological innovation, which plays a key role in stepping up efficiency in the transport sector. With the growing number of cars leading to increased road congestion, the development of high-capacity and energy-efficient transport systems has become a top priority.
Experience thus far
The concept of climate proofing investments in transportation infrastructure has been taken up through smaller initiatives to start with. Some of the Southeast Asian countries have embraced new technology, with the introduction of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), smart cards, mobile ticketing facilities, and automated fare collection (AFC) systems. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand are active in modernising their transport systems. For instance, Kuala Lumpur is dealing with sustainability considerations through a focus on a mass public transportation system in order to deter people from using private vehicles. In contrast, Lao PDR and Brunei are yet to make much headway in this area.
Singapore has been a frontrunner in this area. Under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 plan, targets have been set to achieve 700 km of cycling paths and 360 km of rail network in the country and put 80 per cent of households within a 10-minute walk of a train station. In many ways, Singapore provides an example that other ASEAN cities can follow. It is still dealing with traffic congestion, but its investments have seen it come a long way. The government also offers a 40 per cent rebate on purchases of green vehicles, such as hybrid, electric and compressed natural gas cars. Notably, in its budget for 2015, the government extended the Carbon Emissions-Based Vehicle Scheme until June 2017. The scheme encourages buyers to opt for low carbon emission vehicles.
The Singapore government supports its network with a comprehensive mass transport policy, a fully integrated pricing system and emission reduction plans. The city’s congestion reduction policies are also a strong complement to its management of mass transport. For instance, an ITS monitors roads on a real-time basis, enabling authorities to divert traffic away from accident and breakdown sites.
Indonesia too has made rapid strides in ensuring that investments in transportation infrastructure are climate-proof. The Sustainable Urban Transport Programme in Indonesia aims to create enabling conditions for the formulation of sustainable transport policies and projects in Indonesia. The Ministry of Transportation is in the process of setting up a national-level programme – NAMA SUTRI – to provide technical assistance, policy guidance and fiscal incentives for funding of sustainable transport infrastructure.
Vietnam also has formulated several strategies related to sustainable transport, climate change and energy efficiency, together covering “avoid, shift and improve” measures, with an emphasis on passenger as compared to freight transport. The strategies also include objectives and specific targets related to public and multimodal transport, energy and emission savings, as well as limitations on an increase in private motorisation.
Road transport attracts maximum technological intervention
The high cost of fuel and greater reliance on roads for movement of freight has compelled Southeast Asian countries to adopt green technologies in the sector. A key technological tool for attaining financial viability and resource sustainability of transport systems is the use of ITS. The use of ITS involves combining various information and communications technologies, such as wireless communications for signalling and train control; real-time operating systems for up-to-date passenger information; and sensing technologies including radio frequency identification (RFID) for fast and convenient transactions.
Many Southeast Asian countries employ ITS across rail- and bus-based transit networks to improve the efficiency, safety and attractiveness of the transport system. Singapore has led the way by investing in a massive public transport network and actively using IT solutions for traffic management. One notable technological advance is the Green Link Determining (Glide) system that is used to coordinate traffic light signalling systems. Another is the Junction Electronic Eyes (J-Eyes), installed at major traffic junctions, to alert operators at the ITS control centre of any congestion or disruptions in traffic flow.
However, except for Singapore and metropolitan cities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, most cities in the region lack advanced systems for bus fleet management. Some of the cities that do have modern bus fleet management solutions and tracking devices based on the global positioning system (GPS) are constrained by limited coverage that varies widely from country to country.
Some successful examples of the use of modern technology include the GPS-based vehicle tracking system and electronic signboards in Putrajaya, Malaysia, as well as the advanced bus tracking and route information systems for providing real-time information on bus activities in Singapore. Other ongoing initiatives comprise Thailand’s electronic vehicle registration system for tracking bus movements and speeds through RFID tags; the advanced fleet management and passenger information system in Jakarta; and the GPS-based vehicle tracking system in Kuala Lumpur.
There are plans to introduce similar systems in the Philippines and Vietnam. In May 2015, the Asian Development Bank-backed technical assistance for the Davao Sustainable Urban Transport Project in the Philippines was completed. The policy and advisory technical assistance aimed to help the government create an enabling environment for a modern, efficient and affordable public transport system in Davao that can replicated across the Philippines.
Technological interventions penetrate in the marine transport sector
The maritime sector also has huge scope for penetration of sustainable technology options. Under the programme entailing sustainable port development in the ASEAN region, 12 port operators and authorities in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines have been selected.
These partner ports are working on improving their safety, health and environmental management systems. The ports in Bangkok, Thailand, and Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo, the Philippines, have introduced an integrated management system comparable to the ISO 14001/OHSAS 18001 standard. As part of this system, regular internal and external audits must be carried out to ensure that the ports continuously meet these standards. Some ports have rolled out systems to track occupational accidents and incidents and are currently developing reporting systems to identify preventive measures. Most of these ports are also working to reduce the emission of air pollutants. Bangkok port has optimised the flow of traffic within the port and on access roads. Other ports now use electric forklifts in the warehouses or supply their ferries with electricity generated onshore, which reduces pollutant emissions in the port area.
The future holds promise despite constraints
As Southeast Asian countries develop new infrastructure, they face the immense challenge of balancing between limited funding and their desire to protect their environment. At this early stage of innovation, the success of sustainable infrastructure projects that tend to be more expensive than their conventional counterparts will play an important role in providing the necessary stimulus for more projects in the future.
Currently, the implementation of ITS is often constrained by a lack of an integrated and holistic vision, as the focus is placed on single transport modes with stand-alone proprietary systems. As transport authorities embark on increasingly complex mixes of IT uses to support the provision of their transport networks, there is a real need and opportunity for aligning the IT architectural framework with the business strategy and operational model in order to achieve a greater degree of system, data and service integration. One of the biggest challenges facing transit fare collection today involves meeting stakeholder needs and expectations. This is due to rapidly advancing technical innovations.
The time is ripe for the acceptance of green solutions to address transport-led challenges in the region. Since infrastructure and technology choices are long term in nature, countries like Myanmar, which are yet to develop infrastructure, can take advantage of the possibility of deploying green infrastructure solutions to avoid locking-in carbon-intensive and climate-vulnerable solutions.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority is in the process of setting up transport research centres with three Singapore universities, and establishing a research advisory panel to chart research directions for the future of transport in Singapore. The collaborations will include research and technical trials on innovative policies, technological applications and sustainable practices in the transport industry. By 2020, the Singapore government expects 70 per cent of trips taken during morning peak hours to be on public transport, up from 59 per cent in 2008. To achieve this goal, it plans to double the rail network and develop more seamless connections between bus and rail services.
The 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-20) reinforces the importance of building an “integrated, need-based transport system” by enhancing connectivity across modes and regions. It targets a market share of 40 per cent for the public transport system in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area, and 20 per cent in other state capitals by 2020. Achieving this target will hinge not only on the timely completion of the ongoing rail- and road-based projects such as the Klang Valley mass rapid transit system, but also “first-” and “last-mile” interventions to feed into the main trunk rail lines. The 11th Malaysia Plan also aims to expand the transit-oriented development concept in urban areas. Going forward, greater focus on technological innovations and environmentally friendly “green” transport in the region offers tremendous opportunities for technology solutions providers.
Views of Nana Soetantri, Transport Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
What is ADB’s role in supporting sustainable transport initiatives in the region?
Sustainable transport is transport that is accessible, safe, environment friendly and affordable and is critical to sustainable development in Asia, especially as the region continues to grow its economy and needs to cater for its rising population. When done right, transport can help expand economic opportunities and drive trade; provide people with access to basic services such as schools and health care; and contribute to poverty alleviation. Sustainable transport is a key focus area for ADB. Historically, transport comprises a significant portion of ADB’s lending. In 2014, ADB provided $4.4 billion in loans and grants for transport projects. Moving forward, ADB’s aim is to continue assisting Asia-Pacific countries scale up sustainable transport, especially in line with their commitments to the Paris climate agreement and the recently adopted sustainable development goals. ADB is currently on a mid-term review of its Sustainable Transport Initiative Operational Plan for 2010-20,and this will strengthen efforts to mainstream sustainability in ADB’s road operations, as well as build up operations in urban transport; address climate change in transport; cross-border transport and logistics; and, social sustainability and road safety. The plan is to raise our support for urban transport to 30 per cent of our transport lending by 2020–25 per cent will go to more railways, and roads lending will be reduced to 42 per cent.
In your view, are countries in the region doing enough to ensure sustainability in transport systems? Transport, despite being a significant ingredient for progress, has a negative side. When unmanaged, it leads to congestion, road crashes, rising emissions and worsening air pollution, and other negative environment impacts. In the region, rapid urbanisation and motorisation have made congestion and emissions grave concerns. In 2012, 23 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion were due to transport, making the sector the second largest emitting sector after electricity and heat generation. Countries in the region indeed recognise that mobility is a key enabler of development, especially in terms of access to markets and public services. The economic, environmental and social sustainability of transport systems is also increasingly being recognised as the best means to ensure that value is realised from such investments. However, the scale of the issue makes it difficult for countries to keep pace with infrastructure needs. As both urbanisation and incomes grow rapidly in the region, the demand for private cars and motorcycles is rising to unsustainable levels. To ensure more sustainability in transport systems, more emphasis on road safety, quality public transport and pedestrian facilities, and incentives to shift away from private vehicles will be needed. Given local air quality problems in many parts of Asia, cleaner technologies will also need to be part of an integrated approach. The ADB-financed bus rapid transit system in Yichang, People’s Republic of China (PRC), opened to public operations in 2015,has already transformed mobility in the city by providing an integrated package of public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure. Another project in Shaanxi, PRC, will utilise $200 million in investments for road safety, introducing safety features and organising capacity building programmes that will reduce the number of road deaths and casualties by 25 per cent. This is the first project of its kind and it has the potential for wider application in the rest of Asia.
What are some of the key impediments faced?
The Asian region is actually home to some of the best case examples of sustainable transport at the local level. Many aspects of the road network in the PRC have been designed to relatively sophisticated levels of engineering efficiency and safe design. The world’s largest networks of HSR are found in Asia. Success with integrated urban transport systems in cities such as Ahmedabad, Guangzhou, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo has shown what is possible. However, much of the region has one key impediment: disseminating knowledge of successful options. In many developing member countries of ADB, there are human resource limitations due to institutional constraints.ADB is working to widen knowledge sharing mechanisms on sustainable transport options. Programmes such as the Asian Leadership Program provide opportunities for potential decision-makers to directly experience quality systems outside their home countries. ADB will also soon be launching a new knowledge portal that will include interactive learning opportunities on sustainable transport. Certainly, another constraint is access to finance. Just in the period of 2010-20, ADB has estimated that developing Asian nations will require some $2.5 trillion in transport investments. While governments are investing more, leveraging investment from the private sector as well will greatly increase the potential reach of sustainable transport. ADB is supporting that by helping governments introduce new forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs) under ADB’s Financing++ programme. ADB’s Public Private Partnerships unit is also working to help governments use PPPs to bring more finance and expertise into sustainable transport. In the Philippines, for example, ADB is helping the government prepare its largest ever PPP to turn the south section of its North-South railway corridor into a dynamic commuter and long-haul service.
What are the key technologies that can be deployed to ensure sustainability?
With Asia’s cities swelling by 44 million per year and contributing about 80 per cent to the new economic growth – smarter, cleaner and more efficient mobility will be key. Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) encompass real-time information to commuters, control centres for public transport fleet management, IT-based road safety measures, vehicle registration systems, rural bus information systems, and automated fare systems using smart cards. All these new technologies put more information in the hands of commuters to enable them to make better mobility decisions. Energy efficiency is also crucial to mitigate the rapidly growing green-house gas emissions from transport. That can be done by improving vehicle standards by using cleaner fuels or scaling up waste-to-fuel methodologies and expanding use of renewable energy for transport; and inspection and enforcement and developing improved vehicle technologies. We also need to make sure new trans-port systems are climate resilient by adjusting engineering and design specifications so transport systems and infrastructure can withstand heavy rains, higher temperatures or saline intrusions, and rising sea levels. The future is ripe with opportunities to make transport innovative and sustainable. In the long run, some areas to explore are multimodal transport hubs and multimodal freight hubs that capitalise on advanced passenger station and hub design to create well-designed transport complexes that ensure ease of passenger transfer between modes and access to complementary commercial opportunities.
