The importance of a functional transportation system in development cannot be understated. Examining the progression of countries, the development of efficient and effective transportation networks stands out as a constant; first shipping, then railroads, then highways. Transportation networks are not the backbone of an economy, but rather the circulatory system, ensuring that people and things get where they need to go.
T&T does not have any stated transportation policy that I am able to find. The implied policy, gleaned through observation of the actions of multiple administrations, is that of highway expansion and automobile dependency, supported by a ballooning fuel subsidy that threatens to swallow us whole. On small islands, with limited space for roads and less available for parking, not to mention a budget increasingly dominated by transfers and subsidies, this policy appears misguided.
Transportation is a derived demand. It does not exist for its own sake; it is utilised to fulfill wants and needs.
The focus in the transportation discussion in T&T has never really addressed the "wants and needs" part of the equation, but rather merely the technology, infrastructure, and optimisation of the "movement" part of the equation. It will never be enough to build roads, import cars, buy buses and boats, and build rail infrastructure if we do not also change travel behaviour. You cannot pave your way out of a congestion problem because transportation tends to follow the maxim: "If you build it, they will come."
Our policies in many areas inside and outside of the transport sector contribute to much of our transportation problems. These policies include, but are not limited to the centralisation of government services, education policy that supports a two-tier system with "good schools" being centralised in certain areas, our continued reluctance to implement, invest in and adhere to physical development plans, and our inability to harmonise and plan for our public transportation sector.
Smart growth and transportation demand management (TDM) are modern planning strategies used to develop spaces and systems based on principles of sustainability. In referring to "sustainability" in this context, it is important to note that there are three dimensions to sustainability: environmental, economic and social. These strategies are utilised not merely to improve transportation for its own sake, but to use that improvement as a tool of growth and development.
The elements in the smart growth and TDM toolboxes are many and varied, ranging from simple, easily implementable individual-level actions to large-scale infrastructure and policy development. Some cost much, and some cost nothing. Some are simple to implement and others more complex. Some are popular, and some are initially very unpopular. Almost all represent a drastically different policy mindset from what we are used to.
One important factor which cannot be overlooked is the need for a multisectoral approach toward transport. Integration of policy across sectors goes a long way toward changing conditions, transport culture and travel behaviour. Goals in adjoining sectors can be achieved in tandem with transportation goals through the implementation of integrated policy.
For example, many countries have implemented policy in transport that has achieved goals in the health and environmental sectors. Land use and transport policy have always been inextricably intertwined. Even changes in education policy have been shown to affect travel patterns across populations. And of course, economic outcomes can depend on the efficacy of transport. Looking at transport systems in a vacuum can be of no use to us.
It is past time for us to get serious about improving national transportation. This is an issue that affects us all, from all walks of life, across the public, private and nonprofit sectors, and will require all of us to contribute to solving the problem. We sit alone in our cars and complain about traffic. We refuse to provide customer parking and complain about "wrecking" driving away our business. We refuse to invest the necessary time and money into public transport and complain about its unreliability.
It is time for us to change the conversation.