Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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considered very important that transport facilitates multimodality and integration of active modes
(walking and cycling) in the majority of trips.
6.2.8. Climate change
The means to achieve sustainable transport and liveable cities are the same that can be used to reduce
the impact of megacities on climate change. Developing world megacities are contributing to climate
change less than their developed counterparts and if they follow a sustainable path, they will manage
to keep their impact at low levels. However, in the case of Islamic megacities, the issue of vulnerability
is very important. Reinforcing the transport infrastructure, planning for floods and protecting key
infrastructure from the effects of floods and droughts should be consistently prioritised in the
megacities of the Islamic world.
6.2.9. Social exclusion
Transport related social exclusion is widely observed in OIC megacities. Despite the efforts made to
address issues of exclusion for women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, inefficient
transport operations inevitably have a greater impact on the mobility of these groups. Although these
groups are not necessarily less mobile (for example women performmore complicated everyday tasks
than men including housekeeping, taking children to school and shopping), they are disadvantaged in
the sense that they either do not own a car or their moves are physically restricted. Exclusion can be
tackled both with infrastructure and policy interventions. To begin with, accessible infrastructure
needs to be put in place wherever possible. Basic services that need to be accessible are buses and
other public transport vehicles as well as bus, BRT and metro stations. In addition, well maintained
and curbed footways are essential for people with disabilities as well as the elderly and children to
move conveniently and take seamless walking journeys. At the same time, planning to prevent social
exclusion is essential. There is a great scope for informal public transport services to be used for
people with limited mobility means. Informal services can be organized as dial-a-ride services or offer
rides to specific groups of people (for example mothers with their children) during specific times of
the day in order to increase their accessibility. In addition, planning for the mobility of the elderly is
equally important, particularly in the Islamic culture where their role and contribution to the family
is highly valued. Dial-a-ride services can also be of use for the elderly as well as accessible stations and
buses. Finally, concession schemes for the less well-off can make a significant difference to the
accessibility of people living in informal and distant areas and still need to access the central business
areas by public transport.
6.2.10. Human dimension
The importance of maintaining the human dimension even in such scale of cities has been stressed
throughout this report and is considered to be one of the most important lessons Islamic megacities
can learn from other cities across the world. Maintaining the human dimension can significantly
improve urban life, from the everyday level to the participation of citizens in planning for their own
spaces. The Islamic megacities have the advantage of strong social and cultural values which can be
used as a base for bringing people and the city closer to each other. The role of transport in this effort
lies in small scale planning, street level interventions and lower, more human speeds. It is considered
of utmost importance that participation is promoted and supported as citizens know their cities and
how their needs change as well as the most experienced planners.