Бяшимова Л.А. (доц.), Иваненко А.М.
(студ.).
Южно-Российский государственный
университет экономики и сервиса
THE NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF MASS MOTORIZATION OF MODERN SOCIETY
Urban population is increasingly
feeling the inconvenience of constant conflicts with the moving and stationary
vehicles, experiencing constant discomfort because of air pollution and car
exhaust fumes, particularly from rising levels of traffic noise, from which it
is difficult to defend from not only in the daytime but at night as well. Traffic
accidents have already acquired the character of the national disaster in some
countries abroad.
It
can be noted that in modern conditions
the problem of mass car ownership is not only one of the most important in the city development,
but is becoming more prominent in the national economy acquiring social and
even public and political significance.
The
undesirable consequences of mass car ownership such as air pollution, noise,
traffic jams, the lack of storage space for vehicles, road accidents seem to be
well-known but still difficult to eliminate. However, despite the growing
complexity of the operation, storage and maintenance of vehicles, notably
deepening problems of rational consumption of increasingly scarce fuel and energy
resources and the urban environmental protection of a person in many
industrialized countries, the production of cars and treks in the last decade
has continued to grow. We present a number of specific examples from individual
countries.
Modern
society is characterized by a sharp increase in the mobility of the population
which, in its turn, leads to the rapid growth of a number of cars in the
cities. But the urban road network in most of them is not suited for dense
traffic flows. This is typical both for large and medium-sized cities and small
ones. Transport services and traffic in cities as they grow in their territory,
population and increasing car ownership are added to the critical problem of
urban development. These problems have become more urgent in the last decade, because
most cities in Russia experienced the process of «explosive motorization» in the 90
years.
This problem can be
explained by the fact that the designed location of residential areas has been mainly
focused on the pedestrian (40-100 cars per 1000 residents.) At present the population
is increasingly using, design standards, principles of residential areas,
established in the 60-70's left, but now the situation has changed. As the
result the structure of the residential area planning organization can not
operate.
Now, the motor vehicles in major cities count for 400 per 1000
inhabitants. Due to newly built-up
areas, districts, neighborhoods, and save the settings, the streets laid down
in the 30-60's of the 20 th century in the central part of the city, are known
to behold the urban road network that can not cope with the flow of vehicles,
therefore.
They do not meet modern requirements. Observed in case of
congestion reduction in average speed reduces the efficiency of vehicle use,
excessive consumption of fuel, air pollution and waste of time, urban
populations.
Great
exodus has created a new system of settlement, which can be called "city
cars". This system involves the complete domination throughout the car.
People are just capsules apartments. All go by car from home to work, should be
done on the car.
Do you want to buy a pack of cigarettes? Get
behind the wheel and drive ten kilometers to the nearest store. The development
of this principle was resulted in the organization of shopping and
entertainment complexes at the entrances to the city, at the crossing of
traffic flows. Office, warehouse and industrial buildings are taken out of the
town. The aim is clear - the more number of buildings that can be reached only by car, the more cars
will be produced and sold, the more gasoline will be burnt and the more asphalt
will be laid. This policy should be called the policy of forced
motorization. Everybody has to acquire transportation. To live differently is impossible
now. Do not be surprised that now the suburbs are beginning to look like the
assembly of machines, beyond which buildings are occasionally flashed and there
is not any pedestrian anywhere. Wherever you go - to the airport, shopping
center, business center, everywhere you'll see one giant parking lot.
The traditional system of settling, which can be
called "city people" tried to build everything as close as possible,
thereby saving time and energy to life movement.
Today
the city has experienced a history of
all tempered wave of motorization of
traditional planning structures are in ruins and many do not perform their
functions. The onslaught of the "city car" is so strong
that the best fate for the old quarter is considered to be entering into the
category of protected cultural monuments. Only such a special status gives at least some
safeguards against destruction.
Here, the most important items for which must be addressed:
1.Automobile for the city is the
problem number one! Harmony is impossible. It is not even about the quality of life and the fate of civilization.
The best thing we can do is to put their numbers under control and eventually
find a way to get rid of them altogether.
2. The political will of society should be directed to the development of
alternative transport modes, allowing to save time and space of the city life.
On this money should go, and over this should work the best engineers. Public
transport must be unconditional, real security priority traffic.
3.
We have to change public attitude to the fact of a car ownership - it should
not be a source of pride and prestige.
4. It is necessary to limit the expansion of vehicles physically forcing them
out of city limits rather than using legal standards. Speeding must not be
fined. Cars that cannot drive fast should be produced. Sidewalk parking should not be prohibited;
the roads on which crime could not be committed should be built instead.
5.
Every effort should be taken to reduce the number of cars. For example,
automobiles should not be advertised because they are as harmful as drugs. Or
the advertisement of only "progressive",
small and environmentally friendly cars can be allowed.