A Swiss canton that banished cars

Car dependency may now have become a serious problem, but in 1882, when the German car maker Karl Benz took out his rudimentary internal combustion engine for a test drive in the streets of Stuttgart, he was arrested. The French count Albert de Dion fared no better. When he tried to produce his steam automobile commercially, his father got a court to restrain him.

Reclaiming urban spaces critical for democracy

at the beginning of the 20th century, the Swiss Canton of Graubunden banned all cars from its streets. The canton of Uri clamped a similar ban, a year after. The bans might seem ante-diluvian in this age of auto-intoxication. But the action of the Swiss cantons remains salutary for a number of reasons. For one, it reminds us that our romance with cars was never an untroubled engagement. More importantly, the car bans remind us about putting a value to public spaces. Historically, public spaces were central to people's lives--specially

New software for more mileage

cars are designed to perform at their optimum when accelerated at one particular level. A slight deviation from that and the vehicles constantly lose energy. Whether on gear one, two, three or four, you unwittingly lose out on fuel efficiency if you don't stick to the optimum level fixed in the laboratory.

Tourism plans for Andamans go on, tsunami notwithstanding

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are still seen as tourist havens, even after being ravaged by the tsunami in December 2004. The tourism policy of Andaman and Nicobar Island 2003 listed its objectives as large-scale, resource-intensive tourism, opening more islands for tourism, attracting private investment for high-end eco-tourist resorts and obtaining relaxation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (crz) rules. The model is still followed, with minor modifications, after the December 2004 disaster.

Ticket to ride

in 1933, Adolf Hitler met with the car baron Ferdinand Porsche to discuss the idea of a car that could carry 5 people, cruise up to 40 km an hour, return around 12 km a litre, and cost only 1,000 Reich Marks. Thus was the origin of the Volkswagen car. In German, the moniker means people's car.

Revisiting economics of congestion

In our December 31, 2006 issue we raised some questions in the editorial, 'Economics of congestion'. Readers responded. Here is a cross section of views Theory-practice hiatus Shreekant Gupta, director National Institute of Urban Affairs New Delhi

Pete Seeger the new middle class icon?

the Indian middle class has come of age. Quite literally so. The motor car, that epitome of middle class aspirations, is no longer a dream. Of course, that automobile is also not the lumbering Ambassador of yore.

European Commission to adopt Euro 6 emission norms

the European Commission (ec) will adopt Euro 6 stage of emission norms, along with the existing Euro 5 norms. It, however, trails behind leading nations in reducing nitrogen oxide (nox) emissions from diesel cars.

Soot and glitter

asia's largest automotive show -- the Auto Expo -- is conspicuous not by the business generated or the number of visitors but by the congestion it creates on the Delhi-Mathura road every two years. Never mind that the just concluded Auto Expo 2006, held at Pragati Maidan, attracted more than a million visitors and generated business worth more than Rs 10 crore.

Chinese bicycles reach dead end

The cyclist, who has ruled Chinese streets for decades, is fast becoming an endangered species in the country, thanks to sweeping globalisation. Shenzhen China Bicycle Company, one of the biggest bicycle manufacturers and the biggest bicycle exporter of China, is facing bankruptcy. Due to increased competition for export sales and a dip in the domestic market with more people buying automobiles, the company failed to report a profit for five years.