ASi" kUCTURE FlOR DEVELOPMENT

are bundled into low-cost loans to industries to pur- Elements of infrastucture planning
chase pollution-redudng equipment. In 1992 the
tfund's. income was $188.5 million, double the Because most infastructure uses geographically
amount in 1991. Although collection rates for pollu- distributed networks, spatial, sectoral, and intersection
charges and fines increased during the 1980s toral coordination and planning are necessary for
and early 1990s, a recent decline in compliance rates government activities. In addition, project selection,
is raising concern.
design, and evaluation are important steps in. the
Serious problems are posed by vehicle transport overall decisionnaldng process.. Incorporation, at
in Central and Eastern Europe, despite a per capita the earliest stages, of the social and environmental
vehicle population only one-third to one-half the iimplications of.projects is vitaL
level in Western Europe. The legacy of fuel and vehicle
underpricin& the high average age of vehicles,. Sectoral and cross-sectorml strategis
obsolete designs, inadequate -pollution controls,
dirty fuels, and poorly maintained vehicles-all Because infrastructure investments often have
are factors producing envirommental degradation. broad impacts on many groups,planning strategies
This situation has prompted suggestions that the should focus on.coordinating the decisions of incountries
take direct measures to restrict road trans- vestors, including donors, while also gaining the
port in favor of railways or river transport A study broad acceptance of other stakeholders. Particular
of Hungary undertaken for the World Bank sug- attention may be required to ensure that the. congests,
however, that aIternative approaches can re- ce.ms of women are.not overlooked. (Box 4.6). User
duce vehicular emissions. If all new vehidles were groups-and other interested parties need to be conto
comply with available best-practice emission suIted by the public officials and technical specialstandards,
the traffic growth accompanying eco- ists who usually lead the process, and mecianismsn
nomic growth (as far forward as the year 2020) for conflict resolution are necessarycould
be accommodated at absolute emission levels In the case of watershed protection in the Sao
below those presendy expinced. However, limit- Paulo region of Brazil, for example, a worldng
-- ing traffic growth may be necessary to control con- group comprising municipalities, water suppliers,
gestion.
and environmental agencies was set up to solve
In the Netherlands a transport sector strategy water quality problems in the Guarapiringa reseraimed
at minimizng environmental stress and vow so that it could meet rapidly-growing demands
avoiding unnecessary investment mixes regulatory for water. As part of the consultation process, a
- - and market-based measures-for. example, intro- town fomm was held with more than 120 city and
ducing pollution premiums on road users, encour- state government officials, members of nongovernaging
the use of biycles. and public transport creat- mntaI organiztions and community groups, acaing
vehicle-free precincts for pedestrians, providing demics and researchers, leaders of professional orincentives
for higher vehicle occupancy rates, and ganizations, and the press. Local consultants
instituting parking controls. In Japan and in several prepared an environmental profile of the region and
developing countnes, including China, Ghana, and interviewed city, community, and business leaders.
Indonesia, similar schemes to encourage nonmotor- The process resulted in a basin development stratized
traffic and pedestrian facilities are being con- egy and an action plan that combined public and
sidered.
political commitment.
Regulation to preserve safety standards in irfra- When an infrastructure system is owned by a smistructure
service provision and delivery is an im- gle entity, planning is generally internalized by the
portant prionty Studies have shown that road acci- owner Once ownership of a system is unbundled
dents are the first or second most important cause of (as descnrbed in Chapter 3), however, strategic plandeath
in many developing countries. Addressing ning becomes decentralie. To maintain the beneroad
safety involves not only restricting speed and fits of unbundling, the development of the nahural
traffic flows, but introducing safety considerations monopoly segments-typically the primary (tunk)
into the design and collection of information for facilities-and the setting of technical standards
monitoring and analyzing safety conditions- Facility should. be coordinated at the sectoral level because
construction also requires special consideration. Be- of the market power that comes with the right to
-cause construction exposesworkers to a high nsk of carry out these functions. In an unbundled network,
injury and death, effective safety standards must be this responsibility could be entrusted to a coordinatapplied
to. the construction of facilities, not just to ng entity made up of representatives from governtheir
operation.
ment, suppliers, and users.
8S4