FUKUOKA, KOMPAS.com - Environmentally friendly transportation is still a problem for many large cities in Asia. However, large cities in developed Asian countries like in Japan, Korea, and Singapore, already have convenient mass transportation, so the people there have more options for means of travelling. On the other hand, large cities in developing Asian countries, such as in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are still striving to build convenient mass transportation infrastructures.

This was reported from the fourth Asian City Journalist Conference (ACJC), Fukuoka, Japan, by Kompas journalist Robert Adhi Ksp, who was one of the eight participants for ACJC. The other participants were Faezah Ismail (The New Straits Times, Malaysia), Teo Woan Yee (Lianhe Zaobao, Singapura), Somhatai Mosika (The Prachachat Business, Thailand), Cynthia Balana (The Philippines), Nguyen Ham Bao Truc (Saigon Investment Finance, Vietnam), Yeo-jin Yun (The Busan Ilbo, South Korea), and Ryuji Tanaka (The Nishinippon Shimbun).

The discussion was moderated by Takeshi Kokubu, senior editor of the The Nishinippon Shimbun, Fukuoka. Those who attended the discussion were the Deputy Director of General Affairs Division of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Susumi Shimaya; President of the Nishinippon Shimbun, Takao Kawasaki; Prof. Mamoru Taniguchi from the Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, the University of Tsukubathe, Japan.

Director of the UN Habitat for the Asia Pacific region, Toshi Noda stated that the Asian cities must share knowledge and information on how to solve various environment issues, including the provision of environmentally friendly transportation.

The Asian journalists in ACJC was previously taken to see some new models of environment friendly vehicles produced by various Japanese automotive industries at the Fukuoka Motor Show 2009. The ACJC participants also visited Asian cities such as Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City that are still poor in infrastructure.

Faezah mentioned that in Kuala Lumpur only 16 percent of the people use public transport. The government has set a target of 40 percent for people using mass public transport, but this is still hard to achieve. It would take a great political commitment from the lawmakers to achieve this.

In Bangkok, stated Somhatai, there are the MRT and monorail with routes as far as 42 km. In the next 10 years, Bangkok will have an MRT that goes as far as 200 km. But the Thai government requires more funds.

Busan, the second largest city in South Korea, has encouraged bicycles as a mode of transport, stated Yeo-jin Yun, and further the city will provide bicycle renting places. This is one of the measures to mitigate emission.

While in Fukuoka, Japan, Ryuji Tanaka explained that the city has a policy of no private cars every Friday. So on that day everyone must ride the MRT or public busses.

Prof. Mamoru Taniguchi said that the income discrepancy between people in the cities and those in the villages were staggering. The development of the transportation industry is a contributing factor to that gap.

The fifth ACJC is scheduled to be held in Solo, Central Java, in 2010. "We have an excellent relationship with the Solo mayor, Joko Widodo," said Toshi Noda.

According to Toshi Noda, the UN Habitat for Asia Pacific region is planning to hold the ACJC in Solo. "We are considering whether the ACJC agenda should be integrated with the UN's event in Solo, or be held separately."

In the closing reception at the Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Fukuoka, the Indonesian participant, Robert Adhi Ksp, represented all the ACJC participants to deliver a closing speech. To smoothen the communication among ACJC members, the UN Habitat for Asia-Pacific region, the Nishinippon Shimbun, and all the professors involved in the ACJC activities, it was agreed that the communication medium was the UN Habitat Asian City Journalist Conference group on Facebook. (Robert Adhi Ksp, from Fukuoka, Japan/C17-09)