DRS2012 Bangkok Proceedings Vol 4 - Design Research Society

The Opportunity for Design-led Transport Futures
• The streets were congested by different forms of vehicles
• Pavements were congested by long queues for local and tourist buses
• Large vehicles used pavements when turning.
• As a major tourist venue, visitors who wanted to ‘stroll around the city’, admiring
the architecture and taking photographs, this immediately placed them in danger
from vehicular traffic and slowed pedestrian traffic
• Shopkeepers and restaurant owners complained of pollution from idling buses
Many of the interviewees felt that the city was dying because of the reduced footfall which
was a consequence of the lack of integrated transport policy – with limited parking
spaces, high parking tariffs and poor public transport.
Little consensus was reached about preferred transport solutions. The park and ride had
its clear advocates from those who used it – especially the more elderly participants. The
service, and the electric bus were both rated as excellent, yet the service was underused.
Lift sharing was seen as too complicated, and cycle lanes only considered a viable option
by tourists. Public transport was seen as markedly inferior by the affluent, conservative
residents who preferred to use other shopping centres. Many of the transport problems
associated with the city were legacy ones, the result of changes in strategy,
disconnected funding, changes of ideas and policies, and the need to accommodate
different interest groups.
The study evidenced the wicked nature of transport problems and the failure of piecemeal
approaches to tackle the transport problems.
1. The congestion and inconvenience of all stakeholders had a negative impact on
quality of life and the economic viability of the city.
2. A holistic approach to transport design, bearing in mind the historic nature of the
city, local context and international importance was not evidenced
3. Different stakeholders had different goals and travel preferences
4. Modal shifts from private to public transport would not occur as public transport
was seen as markedly inferior.
The H-S model was used to identify different parts of the journey, different stakeholders
and the variety of factors influencing the current situation: the management and
operationalisation of the park and ride scheme, the design of the electric buses from the
passengers and drivers perspective; social, cultural and individual issues such as
passenger demographics and attitudes to sustainability, and external factors such as the
low carbon agenda for public transport and the slower development of charging
infrastructure – leading to concerns for bus drivers. The results were used to inform future
strategy in line with national opportunities.
Conclusions
Transport research is fragmented, fast approaching crisis point in its reactive stance. It is
led by a strong vision to create sustainable, accessible, modern, joined up transport
services. Significant advances continue to be made. However, the top down vision is not
always reflected in grassroots improvement to services or passenger experience. Gaps
exist in sustaining and continuing transport solutions after the initial funding. Piecemeal,
regional and sector based approaches to funding create a highly competitive environment
which can lead to poorer and more expensive user experiences and uneven service
provision. The focus on the whole journey experience (the sum of all the hexagons in the
journey spindle) will add clarity, and enable a realization that ‘the whole is other than the
sum of its parts’. If any stage or part of the journey becomes more of a cost or a problem
than the benegits to be accrued on arrival , then the journey may well be abandoned.
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