Tuesday, October 20, 2009

2 Hours with motorized vehicle, trouble or sustainable?

Is just barely 30 mins since the USM's 2 hours without motorized vehicle started when i wrote this. Am looking down through the window from my apartment that happens to be facing the 'Sungai Dua' gate (one of the main gates in USM)

Scenario:
3 person holding a big banner shouting and chanting slogans of no motorized vehicle at the gate to those who brought their motorcycles and car into the campus. Regardless a mail delivery to random people that has bisness with the university.

Some are 'shoo'ed away and turned back and went out of the university. Wondering how would they feel and think about USM. One surprising thing is i saw even security guards with their fleet of motorcycles arranged at the guardhouse too were 'shoo'ing people off. Wonder if this programme weren't organized by the student council would they be that helpful. Ah! A rubbish collector truck just came by.

In the campus, car are still rampant! Moving or not there are just TOO MANY cars around. Even parking spaces are scarse!

This makes me wonder, is this troubling people or are we doing something right?
We are discouraging people not to use motorized vehicle, then? What are these people going to commute? Bus system that sucks, building arregement that is impossible to walk from one office to another, no cycling lanes, walking spaces aren't that comfortable. What are we thinking?

Do you expect one of our elderly workers or even OKU (disabled) workers to 'walk' from the gate up the hill to chancellory? or even students who stays at RST (across the road) to walk to lecture complex everyday? If the systems were good i have nothing to say. But with current systems that we have it is pretty impossible!

Dear USM student council.

I applaud your efforts in introducing the no motorized vehicle experience to the campus community during this 2-hour havoc. I also know you have done a lot of effort in promoting this event including printing LARGE bannerS, flyers everywhere and even all the students are dressed in same t-shirt today (think about consumption huh!)

Please do continue to educate the people. People might not see the point of doing this or they will have a reverse phsycology effect that this is all just troubling and never would revert and rethink about not using a vehicle.

Chanting slogans only will not work. People needs to know why no vehicle? They need alternatives too. Correct our systems are flawed and hampered the efforts!
ALL THE BEST!

Btw, i walked everyday to USM.

abe