Editorial

Is Metro System a need or a cost to the citizens of Bogota?

In December of 2010, I had the opportunity to go to file a conference in Wuhan China, which led me to make a change in the city of Shanghai. There. I landed at the Pudong airport, where I boarded the train Maglev in Shanghai to Longyang Road station, during the time of this route which is approximately ten minutes, there were a number of feelings that addressed both taste like disappointment. Taste, for having carried on one of the wonders of mass transit systems created by man, as though I had climbed a couple of meters systems around the world, no one ever to reach a speed of 431 kph, which operates on the principle of magnetic levitation. After observing and photographing impatiently display showing the speed that was reached during the trip, I also seized feelings of frustration and disappointment, noting that in Colombia, more explicitly in my hometown, Bogota, people face increasingly a traffic collapse that prevents we reach our destination in a quick and quiet way. Many people have gone for diagnosis of impending congestion that exists in the city, which stated among others: poor planning that has been in the times and places where it is building the new phase of TransMilenio system (Bogotá mass transit), which is a system collapsed for lacking of efficiently move for all its users, the city road network is damaged, the lack of building more roads in the city, etc.. Additionally, in my opinion, a mass transit system is needed not only transportation to citizens quickly, but to motivate the few citizens who use private vehicles to use a mass transit system, which so far Transmilenio has not gotten. This has been one of the successes of the metro system in many countries, then, and without wishing to want to mix policy proposals have been made about it, I wonder what, we, the citizens of Bogota to demand that the metro system be a reality?, or will the usual conformity that we, the Bogotans hold suppress these demands? Will we continue to believe that the metro system is very costly for the city and country? So why is the construction of the concession system not given what it would not cost a single penny to the citizens?

I just want to end this editorial to invite readers to inform themselves about the issue and in these times when we hear the proposals of the candidates for mayor of Bogotá (2012-2015), we pay enough attention to the future transport proposals Mass for the city. Since it is our duty to ensure that proposals will be enhanced, long-lasting and where the general interests take precedence over individuals, however unfeasible that these are willing to present.

MSc. Mr. Luis Fernando Pedraza Martínez
Professor
Technology Faculty
Francisco José de Caldas District University