In many Asian and African cities, motorcycles constitute a significant proportion of traffic on many roads. Unfortunately, in spite of this situation and the increasing importance of motorcycles in the economic and social conditions in the cities, there is little or no understanding by traffic engineers and managers of the current and likely future effects of motorcycle traffic on the quality of traffic movement and the urban environment in the cities. In addition, in many countries, motorcycles characteristics and behaviour have not been internalised in urban traffic engineering and environmental pollution analysis. This paper describes a technique which can be used for two main functions. First, it can be used to determine the likely impacts of the quantity and operational characteristics of motorcycle traffic on the quality of air near urban roads. Secondly, it can be used to develop appropriate traffic management strategies in cities with significant proportions of motorcycles in the traffic streams. The paper also describes the results of a simulation study of the implications of the typical situations in Hanoi, Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand and the likely future situation in some African cities.
Samenvatting