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| A pickup truck stopped across Jimenez Ave. blocks a line of TransMilenio buses. |
Bogotá's tremendous and worsening traffic congestion requires tough measures - including a congestion charge - to fundamentally change the city's traffic dynamics.
But until then, the city could take specific measures which would at least remove pointless obstacles to traffic flow - such as fining vehicles for stopping inside intersections. Cars don't do this in other, civilized, cities. But in Bogotá, stopping inside intersections is a routine part of driving - even tho the offending driver advances only a few meters, but blocks dozens or hudreds of other people.
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| Cars and motorcycles stopped inside the intersection of Calle 13 and Ave. Caracas block pedestrians from crossing the street. |
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| Don't stop here. A Yellow Box in an intersection in the tiny Arab nation of Qatar. You're supposed to get fined if you stop inside the box. |
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| Cars form gridlock near La Candelaria. |
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| A taxi blocks a line of TransMilenio buses on Jimenez Ave. |
By Mike Ceaser, of
Bogotá Bike Tours
I think eliminating the push carts like they did with the horse carts would help a lot too. Many times I see traffic backed up for a block or more when someone is pushing a cart in the street.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...I haven't seen much of that. In any case, taking away those carts would destroy many struggling people's livelihoods.
ReplyDeleteMike
For record, I never thot that the horsecarts caused much traffic congestion, either.
ReplyDeleteI think the both the horse and hand drawn carts are dangerous for those people on the street. People with cars in Bogota seem to feel entitled to the road and it is the responsibility of everyone else to get out of their way. I have been yelled at several times crossing the street for not walking faster or even running.
ReplyDeleteI've been yelled and honked at by drivers for daring to cross the street when a car was in sight.
ReplyDeleteBut, believe it or not, drivers in Caracas, Vzla and La Paz, Bolivia were even less considerate and more aggressive.
Mike