184
train or boat has resulted in spreading of endemic diseases to disease outbreak like
smallpox and measles (Reyes et al. 2013), air travel has accelerated the progress of
airborne pathogens (Fenner 1971; Mangili and Gendreau 2005) and viruses can
spread across the globe within a few hours instead of days.
International tourist arrivals grew to 1087 million in 2013 from 25 million in
1950 (Jones et al. 2008). Leisure travel is the key purpose of visit all over world with
the share of leisure travel growing from 50% in 2000 to 56% in 2018. According to
the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals touched 1.4 billion
(World Tourism Organization 2019).
About 50–75 million people globally succumbed to the plague (Herlihy and
Cohn Jr 1997) that was transmitted along trade routes (Reyes et al. 2013). Trade
routes from China into Europe as well as other seaports resulted in spreading of
infection to thousands of people daily, leading to early efforts at outbreak control
that included movement as well as closure of ports to ships arriving from affected
nations, restriction and quarantines (Sloan 1973). Land, sea and air transport networks have led to the spread of pathogens and vectors further, faster as well as in
large numbers (Tatem et al. 2006).
Poor transportation network can lead to delay in moving citizens requiring health
attention at health-care facilities besides transporting life-saving drugs, food
and water.
Transport strategies that give preferences to safe walking, rapid transit/public
transport and cycling networks can support physical activity, reduce traffic injuries
and reduce emissions of GHGs.
A healthier transport policy can also result in health equity gains by giving vulnerable people’s groups higher access to social as well as economic opportunities,
especially for lower income earners, women and the elderly.
Transport affects the environment and health through numerous pathways.
Lower-carbon transport strategies are cost-effective investments for societies and
individuals. The costs of infrastructures for walking and cycling, or locating schools
nearer to residential places, are modest compared to developing new vehicle technologies. Effective public transport and safer cycling/walking routes can result in
reduction in travel time and expense and preventing disease, besides promoting better health, particularly among the poor. Good design and investment in sustainable
public transport can help increase physical activity besides reducing urban air pollution as well as traffic injuries. Sustainable transport can also increase health equity
by enhancing access to food education, markets, services and social and recreational
places for people without cars (WHO 2009).
In practice, good design and investment may not always end up in a healthy
scenario. Poor-quality engines of old, improperly unserviced vehicles may put the
passengers in a difficult scenario (Fig. 9.2). In the absence of affordability to private transportation, people in developing countries tend to overuse public transportation, which may be risky in case of accidents (Fig. 9.3). This may be due to a
gap in supply–demand of good service to poor passengers, while affordable community, including people representatives and public servants, travel in private
transport.
9 Building and Changing Infrastructure
train or boat has resulted in spreading of endemic diseases to disease outbreak like
smallpox and measles (Reyes et al. 2013), air travel has accelerated the progress of
airborne pathogens (Fenner 1971; Mangili and Gendreau 2005) and viruses can
spread across the globe within a few hours instead of days.
International tourist arrivals grew to 1087 million in 2013 from 25 million in
1950 (Jones et al. 2008). Leisure travel is the key purpose of visit all over world with
the share of leisure travel growing from 50% in 2000 to 56% in 2018. According to
the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals touched 1.4 billion
(World Tourism Organization 2019).
About 50–75 million people globally succumbed to the plague (Herlihy and
Cohn Jr 1997) that was transmitted along trade routes (Reyes et al. 2013). Trade
routes from China into Europe as well as other seaports resulted in spreading of
infection to thousands of people daily, leading to early efforts at outbreak control
that included movement as well as closure of ports to ships arriving from affected
nations, restriction and quarantines (Sloan 1973). Land, sea and air transport networks have led to the spread of pathogens and vectors further, faster as well as in
large numbers (Tatem et al. 2006).
Poor transportation network can lead to delay in moving citizens requiring health
attention at health-care facilities besides transporting life-saving drugs, food
and water.
Transport strategies that give preferences to safe walking, rapid transit/public
transport and cycling networks can support physical activity, reduce traffic injuries
and reduce emissions of GHGs.
A healthier transport policy can also result in health equity gains by giving vulnerable people’s groups higher access to social as well as economic opportunities,
especially for lower income earners, women and the elderly.
Transport affects the environment and health through numerous pathways.
Lower-carbon transport strategies are cost-effective investments for societies and
individuals. The costs of infrastructures for walking and cycling, or locating schools
nearer to residential places, are modest compared to developing new vehicle technologies. Effective public transport and safer cycling/walking routes can result in
reduction in travel time and expense and preventing disease, besides promoting better health, particularly among the poor. Good design and investment in sustainable
public transport can help increase physical activity besides reducing urban air pollution as well as traffic injuries. Sustainable transport can also increase health equity
by enhancing access to food education, markets, services and social and recreational
places for people without cars (WHO 2009).
In practice, good design and investment may not always end up in a healthy
scenario. Poor-quality engines of old, improperly unserviced vehicles may put the
passengers in a difficult scenario (Fig. 9.2). In the absence of affordability to private transportation, people in developing countries tend to overuse public transportation, which may be risky in case of accidents (Fig. 9.3). This may be due to a
gap in supply–demand of good service to poor passengers, while affordable community, including people representatives and public servants, travel in private
transport.
9 Building and Changing Infrastructure