Traffic congestion, inefficient use of transport fuels and vehicular emissions are problems that many cities in the developing countries are now facing. These problems are interrelated because vehiclefuel consumption and emissions are closely related to vehicle travel speed. To provide an efficient and environmentally sound transportsystem has increasingly become a prerequisite for quality urban life. The first part of this paper looks into the underlying causes of traffic congestion and its impacts on transport energy use and the environment with particular reference to the urban areas of developing countries. The second part describes the strategies that Singaporehas adopted over the past two decades to tackle these problems. Therationale and the effectiveness of the implemented measures are also discussed. (A).
Abstract