Congestion stops traffic in SEA’s megacities

44 million people are being added to Southeast Asia’s urban population each year. As motor vehicle populations keep doubling every 5 to 7 years, what measures are being taken to tackle traffic congestion? Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Singapore and India of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly.

Southeast Asia’s middle-class continues to boom, fuelling car population increases despite the relative lack of infrastructure. According to the Asian Development Bank, the region’s major cities suffer from some of the highest air pollution levels globally – as much as 80 per cent being attributable to road transport.

Singh cautioned that building roads is not a solution, as this region faces severe practical limitations and escalating costs due to shortage of land in urban areas.

In Bangkok for example, roads have the capacity for two million motor vehicles whereas five million ply the city’s roads each day. This has led to the military government approving projects for six railway track routes around the city and three new motorways. The story is no different in Manila. The Japanese International Co-operation Agency suggested improvements in mass transit railway systems for its 20 million inhabitants. As for Jakarta, budget constraints continue to slow down rail and road infrastructure projects.

The issue is a pressing one because traffic jams impact the economy too. Singh pointed out that traffic jams mean increased consumption of fuel and cause employees to turn up late – and fatigued – for work, leading to low productivity. Moreover, congestion at ports holds up foreign trade – with ripple-effects on the economy.

Health complications are not too far behind. According to Jakarta’s Environmental Management agency, the level of lead in the city is 10 times higher than in 2008, standing at 0.33 microgram per cubic nanometer (mcg/nm3) in 2013.

It is crucial for the governments to step in and find the financing to resolve these land transport issues. The solutions will pay for themselves, not just in terms of enhanced productivity and hence tax revenues but also in terms of reduced healthcare costs.

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/congestion-stops-traffic-in-seas-megacities/

Comments

Spire shares business advice to start-ups on Indonesian market entry

On 17 July, Spire participated as a market advisor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Market Validation Program in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Spire Research and Consulting Group held sessions with Singaporean companies planning to expand their business into Indonesia. Jeffrey pointed out the utility of high-tech approaches for start-ups entering Indonesia, such as online advertising, usage of the Internet of things (IoT), data analytics and even Artificial Intelligence (AI). These approaches enable starts-ups to bypass mature importer-principal relationships that may be hard to overcome through conventional means. He also shared with individual companies his thoughts on developing customized strategies for Indonesian market entry. Get more information : https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-shares-business-advice-to-start-ups-on-indonesian-market-entry/

Germany: The Eurozone’s economic powerhouse

Germany is the fourth largest global economy today. Its exports amounted to EUR107 billion in March 2015 – an all-time high since the 1950’s. Despite being the only European nation with a strong manufacturing base and rising employment rate, will Germany succeed to drive Eurozone’s stagnant economy? And what lessons does Germany’s economic success hold for the rest of the world? Germany’s resurgence With the second lowest unemployment rate in the European Union (EU) at 5.3 per cent, Germany’s economy has survived many setbacks. The economic success dates back to the Industrial Revolution due to the early adoption of coal production and rail transportation. Moreover, the fall of the Berlin Wall – the reunification of West and East Germany – and the expansion of the EU created huge market opportunities for Germany. Often regarded as the ‘Sick man of Europe’, Germany had almost lost hope of returning to rapid economic growth, undergoing recessions in 2003 and a dismal 1.2 p...

Spire talks about key trends in Asia’s Franchise Industry

Spire was honored to participate at the 26th International Franchise and Exhibition , Malaysia, 2019. The event was held on 6th April in Kuala Lumpur. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Spire Research and Consulting group, shared insights on key trends in franchise industries in the Asia. Bahar discussed key trends in three sectors suitable for franchising, namely pre-school education, facilities management and laundry services. Global cleaning services are expected to reach USD74 billion at 6 per cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate), accounting for 5 per cent of the global facilities management market by 2022. With urbanization, construction and smart cities as some of the growth drivers and by using robotics, IoT(Internet of things) and analytics, cleaning services would see improved performance. In 2015, USD260 billion was spent on private education in the Asia- Pacific, with Singapore being the highest spender in the region at USD700 million. A...

Deploying Industry 4.0 technology to mitigate climate change

A report highlights that by 2050, Arctic temperatures are expected to rise by 3 to 5°C, leading to a rise in sea levels and threatening the homes of four million people. Solutions using Artificial Intelligence could incorporate data from smart meters and Internet of things (IOT) sensors to predict a city’s energy demand so as to help optimize energy production. Carbon emissions could be significantly reduced through the use of 3D printing and raw material water reduction. How can advanced technology like AI, IoT and 3D printing help tackle climate change? Read more : https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/deploying-industry-4-0-technology-to-mitigate-climate-change/

FIFA World Cup 2018 holds lessons for successful team building

The FIFA World Cup 2018 is widely seen as one of the best World Cups in recent memory, with many surprises and goals aplenty. One talking point was the role of teamwork as opposed to just superstar talent. What lessons can businesses learn from the beautiful game? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 23 July 2018. As World Cup fever draws to an end, the game lived up to its hype with breath-taking goals and outstanding performances. Perera highlighted the role of 'team effort' over mere individual talent, which was evident in the early failure of teams with world-class superstars like Argentina and Portugal. Perera also pointed out the importance of investing in new talent pipeline development, which paid rich dividends for France, the winning team and also one of the youngest teams in the World Cup. The game also highlighted the role of risk-taking. A relentless approach t...

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog