"Technology is attractive"

For about 20 years, Holger Dalkmann has been working on global transport issues. After an extended period at the World Resources Institute in Washington, he now works as a freelance expert and consultant. In an interview, he explains why technology is “attractive”, what demand is like in Africa, and why sustainable mobility has a lot to do with green energy.

What do you associate with the term "sustainable urban mobility"?

Lots of different things: In the future, mobility needs to be climate friendly, non-polluting, safe and accessible to everyone. This means it should emit as few CO2 emissions as possible, should not pollute the air in our cities, and also should not generate too much noise. Furthermore, all residents of a city should be able to get to work, school or the hospital quickly and easily. And all of this has to be affordable for poorer members of society, too.

That's quite a lot of criteria for the transport systems of tomorrow. Modern mobility has become a key issue in industrialised countries. What's the situation like in developing countries?

First of all, I would distinguish between very poor countries and emerging economies like China and India. Sustainable urban mobility has long been an issue in emerging economies too, not least due to the high level of air pollution in cities. These countries are also the origin of lots of innovations, some of which go far beyond the developments that industrialised countries offer. However, things look a lot different in the world's poorest regions. There, it is less about transitioning from one existing mobility system to another, and much more about establishing basic infrastructure in the first place.

So does that mean that these countries could skip certain phases of technology?

Absolutely, it is important to take a different path to industrialised countries away from the combustion engine and personal mobility. This would help to avoid the negative effects that have become so visible in the north.

What does that involve exactly?

Let's look at Botswana as an example. The general level of motorisation there is still relatively low; not even the capital city has a proper public transport system. So, the challenge there is to create and organise a transport system that improves the way people get from A to B. If you have the right approach from the outset, you can set up an efficient, clean and safe transport system. Countries like Botswana can learn from our mistakes and use new technology – adapted to local conditions – to create modern, sustainable solutions.

That all sounds good in theory. But how exactly do you put it into practice? Are there any strategies?

The general rule of thumb is: first walk, then cycle, then build public transport. This approach means you can reach the majority of the population, particularly in poor countries. In Africa, for instance, only 5 to 10 per cent of people have a car. They rely on other forms of transport, particularly methods known as non-motorised transport, i.e. walking and cycling. Buses, railway systems, group taxi services, etc., are then expected to follow in a third phase. Of course, this is the ideal scenario and won't always work in every case. However, it doesn't really matter exactly what order things take; the main point is that transport is planned in an integrated approach. Unfortunately, this only happens in a few countries due to a lack of capacity.

Do you really believe that you can skip the personal mobility stage in developing countries, even though everyone there buys a car as soon as they can afford one?

More political intent is definitely needed here. However, in technical terms, it is pretty feasible. And there are some good examples, too. Take the matatus in Kenya, for instance, which can be controlled and used very efficiently with apps. The apps show exactly where the shared taxis are currently located and how long it will take to travel to a destination. Customers can even pay on their phones. Ultimately, the challenge will be to integrate these stand-alone solutions to create a holistic one. After all, public transport systems capable of transporting large numbers of people on a daily basis are an essential part of any global city.