54
the environment is being irreversibly destroyed by the construction of transportation
infrastructure (e.g. roads, railway tracks, airports, ports).
Apart from the environmental component, both the economic and social component are essential part of sustainable transportation. Transportation aims to connect
by enabling mobility through access to various activities. Appropriate mobility and
accessibility are the basic requirements of today’s globalised society (Hoyle and
Knowles 1998). However, mobility and accessibility could be hindered or limited,
and in this case, the usage of transportation services could be threatened leading to
transport disadvantages. This in turn would cause problems relating to employment,
health, education etc., which would eventually lead to serious social disadvantages.
Transportation disadvantages could also lead to (transportation based) social exclusion. Vulnerable social groups, such as the elderly, children, disabled, pregnant
women, and single parents, would be affected the most. Transportation disadvantages could also affect people living in poorly connected areas. Thus, people who
are forced to use a car because of poor public transportation will also be affected.
This will have an additional impact on their home budget, with particular concern
for the poorer population.
In addition to transportation disadvantage and social exclusion, the social aspect
of sustainable transportation also relates to the security and safety issue. A growing
number of cars will cause traffic jams leading to delays and an increased fuel consumption associated with rising costs. Transportation sometimes takes over valuable land (e.g. agricultural) through compulsory purchase aimed for transportation
infrastructure (new railroads, airports, parking lots, motorways, etc.), which is a
permanent loss. Indirect costs will arise due to health problems associated with
greenhouse gas emissions, reduced mobility owing to car dependence, as well as
injuries and deaths caused by traffic.
Many technical and technological inventions are being used to try and reduce the
impact of transportation on the environment. These include improved fuel efficiency, reduced motor emissions, and systems that control the traffic flow on major
roads or streets (Schiller et al. 2010). Electric-powered, hybrid, or hydrogenpowered cars could also be included. In addition, many countries in various ways
are trying to reduce individual vehicle emissions by reducing the number of vehicles. However, these efforts did not contribute to the reduction in the number of
vehicles on the roads. An increase is also present in air transportation (Ionescu
2017). It is necessary to reduce the negative impact of transportation on the environment. Therefore, new possibilities and improved existing ones are necessary as well
as the development of new and more efficient forms of transportation.
Public transportation could be considered to be an efficient solution to take large
numbers of people in and out of cities and urban areas (Cahill 2010). Public transportation systems are often considered to be “transportation environmental impact
reducers”, and this relates to the new, modern, and more efficient modes. Life-cycle
environmental impacts will be reduced by implementing certain public transport
solutions, which would have a significant local and remote energy and environmental impact beyond vehicle operation (Chester et al. 2017). Beside regular bus and
tram networks, some more sustainable and efficient ways of public transportation
I. Šulc et al.
the environment is being irreversibly destroyed by the construction of transportation
infrastructure (e.g. roads, railway tracks, airports, ports).
Apart from the environmental component, both the economic and social component are essential part of sustainable transportation. Transportation aims to connect
by enabling mobility through access to various activities. Appropriate mobility and
accessibility are the basic requirements of today’s globalised society (Hoyle and
Knowles 1998). However, mobility and accessibility could be hindered or limited,
and in this case, the usage of transportation services could be threatened leading to
transport disadvantages. This in turn would cause problems relating to employment,
health, education etc., which would eventually lead to serious social disadvantages.
Transportation disadvantages could also lead to (transportation based) social exclusion. Vulnerable social groups, such as the elderly, children, disabled, pregnant
women, and single parents, would be affected the most. Transportation disadvantages could also affect people living in poorly connected areas. Thus, people who
are forced to use a car because of poor public transportation will also be affected.
This will have an additional impact on their home budget, with particular concern
for the poorer population.
In addition to transportation disadvantage and social exclusion, the social aspect
of sustainable transportation also relates to the security and safety issue. A growing
number of cars will cause traffic jams leading to delays and an increased fuel consumption associated with rising costs. Transportation sometimes takes over valuable land (e.g. agricultural) through compulsory purchase aimed for transportation
infrastructure (new railroads, airports, parking lots, motorways, etc.), which is a
permanent loss. Indirect costs will arise due to health problems associated with
greenhouse gas emissions, reduced mobility owing to car dependence, as well as
injuries and deaths caused by traffic.
Many technical and technological inventions are being used to try and reduce the
impact of transportation on the environment. These include improved fuel efficiency, reduced motor emissions, and systems that control the traffic flow on major
roads or streets (Schiller et al. 2010). Electric-powered, hybrid, or hydrogenpowered cars could also be included. In addition, many countries in various ways
are trying to reduce individual vehicle emissions by reducing the number of vehicles. However, these efforts did not contribute to the reduction in the number of
vehicles on the roads. An increase is also present in air transportation (Ionescu
2017). It is necessary to reduce the negative impact of transportation on the environment. Therefore, new possibilities and improved existing ones are necessary as well
as the development of new and more efficient forms of transportation.
Public transportation could be considered to be an efficient solution to take large
numbers of people in and out of cities and urban areas (Cahill 2010). Public transportation systems are often considered to be “transportation environmental impact
reducers”, and this relates to the new, modern, and more efficient modes. Life-cycle
environmental impacts will be reduced by implementing certain public transport
solutions, which would have a significant local and remote energy and environmental impact beyond vehicle operation (Chester et al. 2017). Beside regular bus and
tram networks, some more sustainable and efficient ways of public transportation
I. Šulc et al.