This article discusses various modes of transport in Asia, particularly in Bangkok, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manila. The following modes are discussed: motorcycles three-wheeled taxis, double-decker buses, buses, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), light-rail transit, rickshaws, jeepneys, and pedicabs.
Thailand has gained international notoriety for the world's worst traffic jams. Overseas visitors to Bangkok first encounter congestion on the expressway from the airport to the city center. This is followed by the full-course treatment of expressway ramps into city streets, inner-city trunk roads, and the streets leading to the destination hotel. According to a JICA survey, in 1989, the average automobile speed during peak rush-hour periods was 8.1 km/h on trunk roads and 11.4 km/h on expressways. Rectifying the imbalance between urban development and the building of an infrastructure, however, will take considerable time. The immediate causes of Bangkok's transport problems are: (1) Lack of roads and road safety; (2) Lack of public transport; (3) Traffic management and environmental issues; and (4) Government and political problems.
