[Global] • Parking fees in Jakarta the second-lowest worldwide
July 03 • Jakarta Post • Parking
According to the 2009 Global CBD Parking Rate Survey, conducted by property consultant Colliers International, Jakarta's average monthly parking fee is US$27.20, higher only than Mumbai's $25.68. The survey tracked monthly unreserved parking rates in 140 downtown parking districts worldwide. Other cities with low monthly parking fees are Bangalore and Delhi, at $32.10, Bakersfield at $40, and Manila at $42. London City had the most expensive parking fees, at $1,020.29 per month, followed by London West End at $955.51, Amsterdam at $805.36 per month, Hong Kong at $748.2 and Sydney at $587.72.
Jakarta • `Tour de Busway' with Tintin
June 29 • Jakarta Post • Outreach


Shanghai • Rush-hour problems on Line 8
June 27 • Shanghai Daily • Rail Mishaps & Disruptions
Metro passengers were hit by another rush-hour malfunction on Line 8 yesterday morning.
Shanghai • Volvo buses set to serve 2010 Shanghai World Expo
June 26 • Chinabuses.com • Bus Industry
Volvo Bus Corporation and Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corp., a joint venture co-funded by Volvo and SAIC, recently inked a deal of providing 1,500 Volvo buses to Shanghai-based Bashi Group. With a total value of SEK 1.3 billion (about USD 165.322 million), the new bus fleet will be put into service by the opening of Shanghai Expo in May 2010.

Germany • Dresden Elbe Valley stripped of its World Heritage site title
June 26 • Daily Mail • Heritage & Culture
Dresden was yesterday removed from Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites because of the construction of a four-lane bridge across the river Elbe just over a mile from the city's historic centre.

Source: Daily Mail
Kuala Lumpur • Puduraya will be for city buses only
June 26 • The Star • Stations & Terminals
Puduraya bus terminal in central Kuala Lumpur, with its air pollution, grime, chaos, decay, noise and unpleasantness for so long synonymous with public transport in Malaysia, will soon change from an intercity to a city bus terminal.
China • Shanghai Shenlong edges into top 10 players in China’s city bus market
June 26 • Chinabuses.com • Bus Industry
Hangzhou • The love zebra crossing was printed by West Lake
June 24 • Hangzhou Daily • Pedestrian Facilities
At zebra crossings in Hangzhou, 'cars give way to people, [and] people give way to cars', according to a traffic police campaign.      Article 47 of China's Road Safety Law of 2004, on the contrary, specifies that: "Motor vehicles [...] shall stop to give way to pedestrians who are crossing crosswalks."

Shanghai • Faulty signal delays Metro Line 8
June 22 • Shanghai Daily • Rail Mishaps & Disruptions
A faulty signal slowed trains on Metro Line 8 this morning for about 40 minutes during the rush hour. A similar problem was reported on Metro Line 2 on Saturday.
India • For scooters, it's yesterday once more - almost
June 20 • Business Standard • Motorcycles
Scooters are making a comeback in India. Just a year ago, of every 100 two-wheelers sold in the country, only 12 were scooters. That number went up to 16 in the past financial year and is projected to reach almost 20 this year. Moreover the scooter market grew in double digits last fiscal, outperforming the two-wheeler market, which grew 2.6% in the same period. HMSI has a dominant 55% market share, followed by TVS Motors with 19% and Hero Honda with 14.5%.
Singapore • 900 MRT passengers affected by train breakdown
June 17 • Channel NewsAsia • Rail Mishaps & Disruptions
Northbound train services between Woodlands and Marsiling MRT stations were yesterday afternoon delayed by 20 minutes.
Shanghai • Agency calls for bus air quality standards
June 15 • Shanghai Daily • Health & Air Pollution
The Huangpu District health agency is calling for mandatory air quality standards in buses after it found high levels of carbon dioxide in air-conditioned buses compared to regular buses, suggesting air-conditioned buses have less fresh air.
Shanghai • Free toll tags
June 13 • Shanghai Daily • Charging & Pricing
After initially charging 450 yuan for e-toll readers for cars using city tollways when the system opened early in 2009, and seeing virtually no demand for them, authorities applied a discount and finally are now giving the readers away for free.
Jakarta • 109 buses run out of fuel, stop operating
June 12 • Jakarta Post • BRT Financing
Transjakarta buses on Corridor 4 to Corridor 7 stopped operating for several hours Thursday due to a lack of fuel, following a late payment from the Transjakarta busway management body (BLU). The 109 stopped buses were operated and supplied by PT Jakarta Trans Metropolitan (JTM) and PT Jakarta Mega Trans (JMT). JTM's operational director said he usually paid a minimum deposit of Rp 300 million (US$29,700) every 10 days to the compressed-natural gas station on Jl. Pemuda but he had not delivered the deposit for the last 20 days. He said the BLU had not paid around Rp 12 billion (around US$120,000) to JTM and another Rp 12 billion to JMT.
Guangzhou • Public bicycles debut in Guangzhou
June 12 • Life of Guangzhou • Bike Renting / Sharing
More than 40 public bicycle kiosks like the first one pictured on Tiyu Xi Lu are to be built by the end of this year, with the number to increase to 100 by the 2010 Asian Games. The rental kiosks will be conveniently located near metro and BRT stations.

Jakarta • Change of functions
June 08 • Jakarta Post • Land Use & Housing


Buildings sealed for violating zoning restrictions
Shanghai • Food, drink, bikes may be banned from the Metro
June 08 • Shanghai Daily • Bike / Pedestrian Policy
The local government is considering banning all food, drinks and bicycles, including folding bikes, from the Metro.
New York • The Best Seats in Times Square
June 07 • New York Times • Public Space
Mayor Michael Bloomberg closed large swaths of Broadway to traffic and filled Times Square with plastic lawn chairs in gaudy pink, blue and green as one of his experiments in making the city more livable. If traffic is merely bad, as usual, the next step is to make the area a little more glamorous. By August, the seating areas are scheduled to be resurfaced. There are plans for sturdier chairs and planters are expected to replace the orange plastic barrels now being used to warn cars away.
Jakarta • JICA, Nippon Koei reported to antimonopoly commission over MRT project
June 03 • Jakarta Post • Rail Industry & Financing
An NGO is alleging a conspiracy between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as the MRT project adviser and Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. as one of the tender participants.
Zhengzhou • 170 BRT Yutong city buses delivered
June 02 • Chinabuses.com • BRT Vehicles
Zhengzhou has taken delivery of 65 18-meter articulated buses and 105 12-meter low floor city buses from Yutong. The buses will be used in the BRT system to open later this year.

Wuhan • 20 Huanghai buses hit road in Wuhan
May 31 • Chinabuses.com • Public Transport
Twenty 16m, 3-door Euro III 150-passenger capacity Dandong Huanghai buses are now operating in Wuhan.

Shanghai • Shanghai motorists to pay more for new fuel
May 27 • China Daily • Energy & Fuel
Euro 4 emission standards for new vehicles will apply in Shanghai from November 1. Cleaner fuels will be used from October. All new motorcycles must comply with Euro 3 standards by July 1. Vehicles that do not meet national I emission standards - around 200,000 of the city's vehicle fleet - will no longer be allowed to travel within the Middle Ring Road. Those vehicles are now banned within the Inner Ring Road area between 7am and 8pm.
Sydney • Pedestrians to get priority in revitalised Chinatown
May 25 • Sydney Morning Herald • Public Space
Nanning • Drunken Benz driver injures 10 in south China
May 23 • Xinhua • Road Rage
Ten people were injured when a Mercedes Benz driver plowed through bicycles and motorcycles in Nanning.      Following well-publicized incidents of pampered luxury car drivers maiming and killing pedestrians in Hangzhou and Shanghai, a long-overdue public backlash is brewing.
China • Buses to benefit little from new subsidy policy
May 22 • Chinabuses.com • Bus Industry
Bogota • A Colombian model for the MTA?
May 20 • WNYC • Bus Rapid Transit
Shanghai • Woman struck by car fights for her life
May 18 • Shanghai Daily • Road Safety
A 50 year-old woman was still unconscious in hospital yesterday, showing no sign of recovering, three days after being hit by a 20 year-old student driving a silver BMW at a pedestrian crossing on Huaihai Road M.
Shanghai • Luwan to preserve shikumens and build another Xintiandi
May 18 • Shanghai Daily • Heritage & Culture
Luwan District will redevelop one of its shikumen (stone-gated) neighborhoods into another Xintiandi, the city's popular shopping, eating and entertainment area, within three years, the district's governor said yesterday. And all the district's more than 2,000 shikumen buildings will be restored. The district will restore the facades, overhaul the plumbing and instal fire-protection systems. Renovations will be completed on 800 shikumens by the end of the year.      Xintiandi makes 100 million yuan in revenue every month according to the developer, Hong Kong's Shui On.
Guangzhou • Guangzhou BRT construction accelerated; to finish by end of 2009
May 14 • Yancheng Wanbao (in Chinese) • Bus Rapid Transit


Sydney • Go 'naked' - and we'll all be living on easy street
May 14 • Sydney Morning Herald • Pedestrianisation
The city centre plans to adopt 'naked streets' measures to reclaim the city for pedestrians and discourage CBD drivers.

Barrack Street is open to traffic but its paving, street furniture, speed limit and general ambience causes most mostorists to avoid it. Photo: Steven Siewert

China BRT ITDP-China Photo Library