Sustainable Transport: A Comparison of Bus Services and Infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburg - Dissertation Example

An Analytical Comparison of Bus Services and Infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburgh in Relation to Sustainable Transport Table of Contents Chapter Introduction 3 1.2Rationale for Study 3 1.3Aims and Objectives 4 1.4Structure of the Dissertation 4 Chapter 2: Literature Review 6 2.1 Sustainable Transport in Scotland 6 2.2 Bus Services and Infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburgh In Relation To Sustainable Transportation 9 Chapter 3: Methodology 14 3.1. Research Approach 14 3.2. Data Collection Procedure 14 3.3 Limitations 15 Timeframe 15 15 References 16 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Indicative Title “An Analytical Comparison of Bus Services and Infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburgh in Relation to Sustainable Transport” 1.2 Rationale for Study The rationale behind this study is to gain a better understanding of the significance of sustainable transportation, comparing between the bus services and the infrastructural developments taking place recently in Glasgow and Edinburgh, from an analytical perspective. The study intends to acquire an in-depth knowledge about the sustainable transportation system prevailing in two of these economically strong cities of Scotland. The intention is to reveal the importance of transportation and its impact on the environment as well as the economy when concerning the aspect of sustainable transport wherein the growing issue of climate change and pollution is affecting the sustainable standard of living of a nation. In this context, the growing measures taken up by Glasgow and Edinburg to preserve the sustainable transport concept have grabbed the attention of people throughout the world. The study will provide an analytical view of the fact that sustainable transportation with a greater focus on lessening emissions makes a positive impact on the economy and environment. In this regard, the use of hybrid bus services with a proper infrastructural design has been an important aspect in both of these cities, which will be considered in this study, emphasising the concept of sustainable transport. The rationale for the study is to understand the significance of sustainable transport and to implement the same for the betterment of the environment. This study will certainly help in determining the methods of sustainable transportation that Glasgow and Edinburg use, with a comparative review of the issue. The need to preserve non-renewable resources is the primary understanding that will be elaborated in the study. In addition, the rationale behind the study is to evaluate the significance of bus services in Glasgow and Edinburg as part of sustainable transportation development to address the environmental issues by reducing carbon emission. The promotion of eco friendly vehicles, reducing traffics and development in infrastructure are the main aspects to be considered in the study. 1.3 Aims and Objectives The primary aim of the study is to understand the importance of sustainable transport and evaluation of bus services along with infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburgh with regard to sustainable transport. With this specific aim, the objectives have been listed below: Understanding the transportation facilities prevailing in Scotland Evaluating the sustainable transportation needs of Scotland Analysing the sustainable transportation with regard to bus services in Glasgow and Edinburg Determining the impact of sustainable transport on economy and environment of Glasgow and Edinburg 1.4 Structure of the Dissertation The dissertation has been divided into 5 sections in alignment with the above stated aims and objectives of the study. The opening chapter of the study is ‘Introduction’, which provides a rationale of the subject matter along with the aims and objectives of the research study. The second chapter is ‘Literature Review’, which aims at elaborating the study in an in-depth and comprehensive manner by reviewing varied literatures. The third chapter is the ‘Methodology’ section, which reflects the methods and approaches that will be used in the study for obtaining accurate results. ‘Findings and Analysis’ will be the fourth chapter involved in evaluating the findings and understanding gained from the entire study. The last chapter is ‘Conclusion and Recommendations’, which will summarise the study and provide significant suggestions in relation to the subject matter of the study. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Sustainable Transport in Scotland Scotland desires to become one of the strong participants in the global market by improving its environment and developing a sustainable transportation system. As per Curran (2009), the government of Scotland represents sustainable transport as an aspect of enhancing local environment. It is significant to realise the importance of different sustainable modes of transportation in order to determine the impacts imposed by the same on the environment. In this regard, the government focuses on the use of bus services, railways and eco friendly vehicles for reducing the crucial concern of pollution and enhancing the transportation system. According to the report published by Sustainable Development Commission (2009), the transportation system prevailing in Scotland, in order to build a sustainable future, needs to build as well as maintain its transportation services effectively and maximise its networks for better efficiency. It will be vital to mention in this similar context that transportation plays an indispensable role in the life of the people and has an integral significance with respect to policies and community safety. It is to be noted that planning of transportation infrastructure is crucial to promote and encourage sustainable transportation strategy. In recent era, the Scotland government emphasised developing various transportations mode to promote environment and encourage sustainable transport to reduce the overall journey time. This will reduce the traffic and help in minimising emission rates, creating a strong and safe neighbourhood (Sustainable Development Commission, 2009). According to the report of Sustainable Development Commission (2009), the new transportation hierarchy in Scotland is an important aspect for formulating sustainable transportation policies. It is witnessed that the increasing bumper to bumper traffic and pollution in towns are creating an unsustainable environment with regard to the communication and network system in Scotland. In this similar context, the government of Scotland is taking measures to develop alternative transportation policies. Curran (2009) supports this notion by stating that the growing issue of global crisis and environment is due to the lack of sustainable network and formulation of proper policies. It is evitable that the emission level in Scotland is about 40%, which is due to the high usage of individual transport. The rise in the level of pollution is affecting the transportation system in Scotland and therefore, alternative measures are being considered. For sustainable transportation in Scotland, it is stated by Curran (2009) and the report of Sustainable Development Commission (2009) that the energy efficiency of the vehicles in Scotland must be improved and the use of hybrid as well electric vehicles in the region should be encouraged. Moreover, the use of public transport for communication is another way to reduce pollution and ensure proper environment. It was however confirmed later that for the sustainability of the environment and society, the choice of using eco friendly cars was effective. Curran (2009) argued to this fact by stating that quick reduction in the use of private vehicles would lead to the rise of CO2 to about 35% till the year 2030. It is strongly believed that knowledge is important to create awareness and power for ensuring greater economy and developing environment. It is quite obvious to the fact that environment and transportation aspects of a nation have a major impact on its economy. As stated earlier, Scotland desires to become one of the commercial successful countries and therefore the use of sustainable transportation is vital for its economy. According to Crown (2009), advertisement affects the perception of people wherein vehicles are portrayed as a sign of power and speed. However, it can be argued that vehicles lead to traffic congestion, increase the level of pollution and also raise the costs of an individual. From the analysis, it is witnessed that travelling in a private car costs £540 per adult, whereas travelling using public transport such as the bus service reduces the cost by 12% (Crown, 2009). Supporting the same notion, Curran (2009) argued that the use of bus services will indirectly affect the savings of a person and help the economy of Scotland to develop and mitigate the risks that affect environment by a considerable extent. The concept of sustainable transport is new and benefits the nation from economical front and environment perspective. After the advent of globalisation, it can be apparently observed that the major challenges faced by the countries are regarding climate change and the effect of the same on environment. As stated above, it can be inferred that climate change is a chain reaction of pollution. The increasing number of transportation and infrastructure without proper planning is affecting the environmental conditions of Scotland and thus increasing the need for sustainable transportation. According to Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (2013), it is stated that Scotland is taking initiatives to reduce the effect of greenhouse gas emission for the development of sustainable transportation and provide assistance to the issue of climate change. In this similar context, Crown (2014) and Crown (2009) drives to decrease the effect of climate change and ensures a better economical development. The reduction in the issue of climate change will certainly lead towards increasing numerous opportunities to use renewable energies by increasing the transportation network and system. Specially mentioning, in this regard, The Sustainable Development Commission Scotland (SDC) hierarchy of transport is a new approach wherein the demand is to cut down the use of motorised vehicles. Encouraging people to change their approaches and trends towards the use of sustainable along with space-efficient methods of transportation and also enhancing the efficiency of the transportation system through the use of eco-friendly vehicles are the other important aspects to be considered (Sustainable Development Commission, 2009). On the basis of the new approach, Scotland’s transportation department is noted to take steps for reducing the rate of emission level by increasing the use of electric cars and vehicles. Observably, the use of advanced technology and infrastructure will help in lessening the emission level and ensure better sustainable transportation. According to Crown (2006), the sustainable development for transportation is possible by strategising few actions, which include improving the time duration of journey along with connectivity. Reducing the level of emission by cutting down the use of individual vehicles would support in addressing the issue of climate change. Another strategy is to provide people with proper transportation options and value for money (Crown, 2006). 2.2 Bus Services and Infrastructure in Glasgow and Edinburgh In Relation To Sustainable Transportation Sustainable transport is helpful in improving the economy of a country. Investments make by the respective government of a nation towards the public transport such as buses and railways are always deemed to be quite crucial, as the aspect tends to enhance the transportation facility throughout the globe in an efficient manner. The city of Glasgow and Edinburg would benefit from the transportation system in terms of reducing the level of dependency. According to Docherty & Shaw (2011), bus service is one of the important aspects for the development of sustainable system of transportation. It is to be noted that the flexibility of bus transport is more, as this covers a huge network and can carry several people altogether. This aspect helps in reducing the rate of emission by a certain extent. Bus services require proper infrastructure for the sustainable development of the nations and interconnectivity to reduce the use of personal vehicles. The cost for infrastructure is high and thus requires adequate funding and provisions to enhance the features of sustainable transport. As per the views of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (2014), the sustainable eco friendly environment through the use of bus services leads to the economic development within the cities of Edinburg and Glasgow. Bus services, as per Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (2014), are linked with the economical growth and also contribute to the development of sustainable transportation. The use of bus services will be effective, as it will reduce the use of private owned cars and help in reducing the emission level to increase the effectiveness of the environment. It is noted that the route between Glasgow and Edinburg is well developed with better infrastructure. With regards to sustainable transportation, a strategic solution is developed to enhance the infrastructure and transportation network. Sustainable transportation is vital for achieving various goals such as reducing emission and encouraging in using renewable sources of energy for having better control over the environment. In this regard, it can be stated that “‘A world class sustainable transport system that acts as a catalyst for an improved quality of life for all” (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, 2014). Glasgow is an urbanised city and hence requires a well connected transportation facility for travelling. To reduce the congestion in the city, Glasgow encourages people to use public transport such as bus services. According to the viewpoints of Glasgow City Council (2014), Glasgow aims to become one of the greenest cities by the year 2020. In this regard, it is important for the transportation department of the city to have proper infrastructure and form bus services network to reduce pollution and enhance interconnectivity. For making sustainable development, the Glasgow City Council in collaboration with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is identified to take various measures for improving its transportation system. The fast link service in Glasgow and the use of smartcards are other steps that are taken by the council to enhance environment and preserve sustainable future. In this context, for making sustainable transportation development and enhancement of bus services, about £3.3 million is approved by the government for proper infrastructure of bus services so that the issue of pollution is reduced as noted by Glasgow City Council (2014). Proper management of networks and reliability of people towards the bus services are regarded as important aspects for transportation system to become effective (2Glasgow City Council, 2014). Moreover, the park and ride programme is also gaining its importance in order to reduce pollution. With respect to Edinburg, it can be stated that transportation and network accessibility in Glasgow is better than in Edinburg, as the aim of the city is to provide sustainable standards of living to its population. The vision of Glasgow is to maximise the usage of renewable energy resources and reduce carbon emission. This is possible as per the Docherty & Shaw (2011), by changing the behaviour of people and their choice of transportation modes. Moreover, the implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in Glasgow would be effective, as the buses used will maintain a specific standard of emission. It is evitable that by reducing the journey time and traffic congestion, the emission levels will be reduced. Therefore, with this concern, a proper infrastructure and quick network access with the help of transportation development is important. A proper and a well designed network have the potentiality of lessening number of accidents and hence positively affects environment at large (Glasgow City Council, 2014). Finch and Cann (2013) initiated the need for developing proper sustainable transportation linkage amid the two cities for greater economical growth and development. Sustainable transportation is a notion wherein a balance amid the economy and social aspect is considered to benefit the environment. According to Curran (2009), Edinburg is one of the residential cities with various jobs and services located in varied centres. Therefore, the prime need for easy transportation is one of the imperative needs for the people of Edinburg. The use of private owned cars is not recommended in order to maintain the environment and climate change. The decrease in the usage of private cars will help to reduce traffic and emission level by a considerable extent. In this context, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) is identified to take deliberate steps in the form of introducing distinct bus services schemes. A roadway is established by the council of Edinburg for the buses to run. This policy may help the bus services to be quick in response, meeting the needs of the people and persuade them to use public transport rather than private vehicles (Ernst & Young LLP, 2013). This will certainly help in reducing the level of carbon emission by a certain extent. Due to the use of advanced techniques and proper roadways, the Greenway bus services of Edinburg are becoming a reliable mode of journey and providing benefits to the people as well as environment. In this regard, the report of BBC (2011) implied that the use of hybrid buses in Edinburg is an appropriate step towards the development of sustainable transportation. The initiative to launch fleet services is a significant method to reduce environmental hazards. Hence, it can be argued that the cities Glasgow and Edinburg are involved in using various schemes and policies to reduce the effects of carbon emission and also to ensure a better sustainable transportation through the usage of bus services. Arguably, the report of Glasgow City Council (2013) represented that in order to increase sustainable transportation facility, the council is taking measures to enhance the infrastructure by proper designing of workplaces and residential areas so that the pollution level and the use of private cars are reduced considerably. Hence, in relation to the viewpoints of Transport Scotland (2014), the objectives of Scotland with regards to sustainable transport and infrastructure have been depicted below. Source: (Transport Scotland, 2014) Chapter 3: Methodology 3.1. Research Approach Research approaches are of three types that include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Quantitative approach emphasises gathering numerical information of the subject, which can be quantified and evaluated with the help of suitable statistical tools. This form of research is used to identify the relation persisting between two variables. On contrary, qualitative approach focuses on considering descriptive information and understanding of a specific subject. On the other hand, the mixed approach is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods as per the requirement of the study. In this dissertation, a qualitative research approach will be used to understand the impact of sustainable transport and analyse the behaviour of the people towards the usage of hybrid bus services for reducing carbon emission levels (Brown & Suter, 2012; Kothari, 2004). 3.2. Data Collection Procedure Data collection can be segregated into two procedures that encompass primary and secondary. In relation to this study, both primary and secondary data will be collected in order to attain the research aims and objectives. In this similar context, primary data will be mainly collected from the responses of the participants that will be attained through the design of questionnaire. In addition, secondary data will also be collected by reviewing varied scholarly based journals and books among others (Miller et al., 2012). Secondary data will certainly assist in developing theoretical consideration regarding the subject, which is crucial to explore the identified and concerned issues. Therefore, varied articles and peer reviewed journals on this field will be studied and included for better understanding. It is worth mentioning that recent articles will be used in the study within the time range of five years to ensure greater reliability. Furthermore, various online sources are used in order to gather proper adequate information on the research topic (Aguinis, 1994). 3.3 Limitations One of the limitations of this particular research study can be ascertained to be time. Moreover, the use of only qualitative data could be another limitation for the study or the research. The lack of using quantitative data and conducting survey may affect the study by obstructing the procedure of understanding the views of the participants. It is observed that the process will be time consuming and the outcome might be biased, as primarily focused on the qualitative approach only (Krishnaswamy et al., 2009). Timeframe References Aguinis, H., 1994. Action Research and Scientific Method: Presumed Discrepancies and Actual Similarities. Journal of Applied Behavioural Science, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 416-431. BBC, 2011. Green Bus Fleet Launched In Edinburgh. News. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-14820198 [Accessed November 15, 2014]. Brown, T. J. & Suter, T. A., 2012. MR. Cengage Learning. Crown, 2006. Scotland’s National Transport Strategy. Scotland, pp. 1-77. Crown, 2009. Climate Change Delivery Plan. Meeting Scotland’s Statutory Climate Change Targets, pp. 1-48. Crown, 2014. Scotland’s Third National Planning Framework. The Scottish Government, pp. 1-70. Curran, C., 2009. Assessment into the Sustainability of Edinburgh’s Transport Strategy. Heriot-Watt University, pp. 8-45. Docherty, I. & Shaw, J., 2011. A New Deal for Transport: The UKs Struggle with the Sustainable Transport Agenda. John Wiley & Sons. Ernst & Young LLP, 2013. Edinburg Glasgow Improvement program. Business Case, pp. 1-40. Finch, P. & Cann, R., 2013. Linking Glasgow and Edinburgh – The Glasgow Edinburgh Collaboration Initiative. AECOM. [Online] Available at: http://www.starconference.org.uk/star/2013/FinchCann.pdf [Accessed November 15, 2014]. Glasgow City Council, 2013. City Development Plan. Sustainable Transport, pp. 1-18. Glasgow City Council, 2014. Local Transport. Environment. [Online] Available at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4481 [Accessed November 15, 2014]. 2Glasgow City Council, 2014. Glasgow 2014 Legacy Framework. Chapters, pp. 1-84. Kothari, C. R., 2004. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Age International. Krishnaswamy, K. N. & et. al., 2009. Management Research Methodology: Integration of Methods and Techniques. Pearson Education India. Miller, T. & et. al., 2012. Ethics in Qualitative Research. SAGE. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, 2013. Infrastructure And Capital Investment Committee. Official Report, pp. 1381- 1420. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, 2014. Transport Outcomes Report. Glasgow, pp. 1-21. Sustainable Development Commission, 2009. A Positive Vision for Sustainable Transport in Scotland. Journal of the RTPI in Scotland, No. 132, pp. 1-20. Transport Scotland, 2014. Transport Scotland Annual Business Plan 2014-15. Report, pp. 2-26. Read More