Public transportation: a method for decreasing the traffic load in large cities

Abstract

This paper on a method of public transportation used to decrease the traffic load in large cities is from the proceedings of 14th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment in the 21st Century, which was held in Malta in 2008. The authors describe the impacts of public transportation on fuel consumption, pollution and traffic load in Ahwaz city, Iran. They also compare private and public bus networks in Ahwaz, both to each other and to the international standards. They conclude that, considering the yearly increase of passenger demand in Ahwaz and the population growth, the public transportation system should be enhanced. Some components that have slowed the public's acceptance of the bus system, such as the lack of air-conditioning in buses in this very hot climate, must be addressed. A brief list of suggestions that could be used to improve the public transportation system, specifically buses, concludes the paper.