Does non-motorised transport and EV culture reduce carbon footprint?

Abstract

This review aims to answer the question whether Non-Motorised Transport and electric vehicle cultures help reduce carbon footprint related to commuting and whether the provision of infrastructure encourage the culture of walking, running, cycling and the adoption of electric vehicles. An investigation into the Effects of Non-Motorised Transport Facility Implementations and Upgrades in Urban South Africa was reviewed and revealed that South Africa is facing both safety and infrastructural challenges, which makes the NMT culture to be perceived as unattractive due to the lack of adequate and integrated infrastructure, with a fragmented network that is characterized by broken links or routes, therefore unable to meet the needs of users. The review was carried out in the South African context, evaluating the impact that the NMT infrastructure has had on trips generated due to upgraded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. The impact of electric vehicle infrastructure was also reviewed and barriers to full adoption of the electric vehicle culture were addressed. Automotive marketplace, Autotrader’s survey on electric car buyer was reviewed to get an understanding of how well electric vehicles are being received in South Africa and what is hindering its success. A number of things came out which included the initial cost of purchase and the lack of charging infrastructure. The review went on to evaluate factors influencing the choice of the mode of travel and affordability, availability, distance and safety were on top of the list. This went on to show that the purpose of travel also influences the mode of travel. While other may perceive walking and cycling as just leisure activities, some are subject to those activities due to lack of monetary means to pay for public transport or even purchase a private car. The review also continued to evaluate some of the municipal interventions for working towards reducing carbon footprint related to commuting and aiming for net zero buildings in the year 2030. With the continuing trends and concerns about the impacts of climate change, it is crucial to develop ways to prevent air pollution and environmental degradation through sustainable and green practices. This paper reveals the need to encourage the transition to the Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) culture which allows people to walk, run and cycle, adopt electric vehicles (EV) over conventional vehicles, and introduce telecommuting policies in the workplace where the nature of business allows in order to reduce carbon footprint. It recommends how buildings should be designed to support the transportation sector to decarbonize commuting emissions and encourage the NMT culture. The uptake is however based on user experience and what is convenient to them. It was however revealed that a well-designed NMT infrastructure with inter-connected routes, connecting to social and economic activities may be able to address the needs of users. Successful adoption of electric vehicle is however a high-level issue which needs government intervention - introduction of incentives such as subsidies on the retail prices and import duties which seems to be the current and main barrier to a successful electric vehicle centric country.