Congestion will have long-term impact on productivity and health

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE: Congestion is a problem that affects most big cities.

If not resolved, it will have a long-term effect on the economy, loss in productivity as people get stuck in traffic, and even health.

Associate Professor Eustan Quah, an economist, said: "Congestion may mean that people would be more stressed up - they may return from work later than is normal and this in turn may leave little time for whatever time there is for relaxation and leisure and this in turn also affects health and family unity.”

He added: "Congestion is like stationary pollution and if it's big enough, it is going to release more emissions of carbon dioxide and various car pollutants and this is going to have an impact on people living around certain roads."

In Singapore, the solution has been two-pronged.

Get people to use more public transport while controlling vehicle growth and pricing busy roads - where rates have mostly gone up.

But with the benefits of an effective public transport system still some years away, is a never-ending spiral of higher road use costs then inevitable?

"We don't expect this to remain stagnant because people are more affluent, people change jobs, people change neighbourhoods and this is all going to have an impact on traffic volume and whether road pricing works or not at that price. So I don't think there is any one magic formula," said Quah.

An announcement on the review of managing road use - the last of three major policy changes - is expected soon. -CNA/vm