THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 Thomas Middleditch inside CAMPUS on nerding out • Investiture ceremony in life and on TV at MES P | 4 P | 8-9 ARCHAEOLOGY • Mapping and maps through history P | 6 LAW • Job contract and legalities STUCK IN • Legal advice P | 7 BRUSSELS HEALTH For two years running, Brussels has been • Working with MRI machines named the most congested city in North may cause vertigo America and western Europe, a mark of shame for the capital that guides Europe’s P | 11 environment and transport policies. Groups are calling for a solution whose time may finally have come. TECHNOLOGY • My awkward week with Google Glass P | 12 Learn Arabic • Learn commonly used Arabic words and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 COVER STORY By Philip Blenkinsop or two years running, Brussels has been named the most con- gested city in North America Fand western Europe, a mark of shame for the capital that guides Europe’s environment and transport policies. The disgrace has, however, had the effect of uniting Belgium’s environ- mentalist Green Party, centre-right rivals N-VA and business and motor- ing groups in a call for a solution whose time may finally have come — charg- ing drivers for distance travelled. Tests have already begun. Others are watching keenly to see what will work in a city the size of Brussels, whose issues are differ- ent from sprawling megacities like Congestion capital Bangkok or Beijing, or London, with its central congestion charge. “Since London brought in their con- gestion scheme, technology has come a long way,” said Nina Renshaw, deputy Brussels looks to director of sustainable transport cam- paign group Transport & Environment. “Today it’s possible using GPS (glo- bal positioning systems) to have precise billing per kilometre which wasn’t pos- unclog traffic arteries sible even 10 years ago,” she said. “That makes it much more attractive for cit- ies to consider it.” Cities in the Netherlands and Sweden are among those who want to reduce congestion but also cut carbon emissions, an effort in which Europe sees itself as setting an example. The European Commission esti- mates traffic congestion costs at nearly €100bn per year, or 1 percent of the European Union’s gross domestic prod- uct, not including the health costs of pollution. The latter has led to the rise of low emission zones in cities from Umea in northern Sweden to Naples in south- ern Italy. Air pollution from traffic prompted Paris to ban cars with even number plates from entering the city for a day in March. Bruno De Lille, Green Party member and mobility secretary for the Brussels region, is sceptical his city really is the developed world’s capital of congestion, as traffic services provider INRIX says, but acknowledges his city has some unique problems. One is Belgium’s high population density, ranked 10th in the world, excluding small island or city states such as Malta or Singapore. PLUS | THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 3 It also has a tax system that encour- Stockholm and Milan. In the trial, the volunteers’ driving In the past decade, plans for con- ages company cars and compensates London’s £10 charge has reduced car patterns and distances are measured. gestion charges in Manchester and the cost of driving to work, with the traffic by 27 percent since its intro- If they subsequently drive less they are Edinburgh were rejected in referen- former taxed at a lower rate than sala- duction in 2003. Milan dropped off the rewarded with cash, while activity over dums. But Transport & Environment ries and the latter able partially to be top of the INRIX congestion standings the norm is noted. In real life, people says public opinion can shift sharply offset against tax. after it introduced a charge in 2012. would be charged electronically or via once road pricing is set up. In Moreover, more than half of the Brussels is considering a combina- ticketing for driving during peak hours. Stockholm, for example, a poll showed 650,000 people employed in Brussels tion of steps, including a rapid regional The idea is backed by the Flemish very strong support for its congestion live outside city limits. rail system along the lines of Paris’s separatist party N-VA, currently the charge a year after its launch. Around half of those commute RER. largest party in parliament, albeit Transport & Environment also says into the city by car, a higher propor- “But if we want the cars to move balanced against reductions of annual that a kilometre charge is a more effec- tion than in most European cities. more freely then we have to take road tax, as well as business bodies, tive way to cut congestion and emis- Eurostat data shows the same figure in another step,” De Lille said. the Belgian auto federation Febiac and sions than a congestion charge which Amsterdam is 40 percent, for example. The proposal to charge drivers per Touring. some users simply get used to. In Washington, the percentage is also kilometre travelled is already on trial First public responses have been “We prefer the kilometre charges around 40 percent, and for Chicago, with around 1,000 volunteers in the city negative: an online petition opposing because if you pay a one-off fee you’re it is 50 percent, according to the US and neighbouring regions of Flanders the scheme quickly gained over 170,000 incentivised to maximise your driving Census Bureau. and Wallonia. signatories. within that period,” said Transport & So far Brussels has tried to fight Environment’s Renshaw. traffic creep by making public trans- Jeroen Verhoeven of Bral, a group port more attractive with special bus seeking to make Brussels more liveable, or tram lanes. That has worked by con- believes a combination of congestion vincing many commuters to switch to zone and distance charge would be best. public transport or bicycles, but has With just the former, there is no also created its own problems. discouragement to drive after taking “What we’ve seen in the last 10 years It also has a the one-off hit. With just the latter, is that we’ve got 7 percent fewer cars drivers may still be inclined to make on the roads, but the jams have got tax system that short trips in the city. longer. That’s because there’s less room encourages company Joost Kaesemans of Febiac, who says for cars,” De Lille said. he regularly cycles to work, says the On weekday mornings, there are a cars and compensates time lost to traffic jams has doubled combined 150-200 km (93-124 miles) the cost of driving to in Belgium since 2007. of jams on 7,000 km of Belgian high- In a report with PwC last year, ways on average, according to motorist work, with the former Febiac said cutting traffic by just 5-10 association Touring. The record, set on percent could reduce congestion by 40 one day in March last year, was 1,400 taxed at a lower rate percent. km of jams. than salaries and the “Road pricing is a system you can influence yourself. We estimate that 20 The Solution latter able partially to percent of the peak-time traffic doesn’t The most common way of tack- have to be there at that time,” he said. ling traffic congestion, and the pollu- be offset against tax. “Is it for tomorrow? It could take tion it causes, has been a congestion until after 2020 ... but doing nothing zone, such as those in place in London, is not an option.” Reuters 4 PLUS | THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 CAMPUS / COMMUNITY CAAK elects Walk-a-thon on Friday office-bearers s part of the World day for Safety Aand health at work, focusQATAR he Confederation of Alumni in association with Supreme Council Associations of Kerala (CAAK) of health is organising a walkathon Thas elected new office-bearers at 4pm tomorrow (Friday) near Al for the next two years, at a general Atiyah Masjid at Industrial Area. Dr body meeting held at the Indian Muhammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Cultural Centre recently. Director Public Health Department will The new office bearers are inaugurate the walkathon. More than Mathai Philip, President, Christian 600 workers is expected to participate. College, Babu Abraham, St Thomas This event is aimed to raise the gen- Kozhencherry, Biju M G, S D College eral awareness of safety and health Alappuzha, are Vice Presidents, issues for workers. The walkathon Mohammed Hashir, General will see many officials from Supreme Secretary, Sir Sayed College, Anish Council of Health, Hamad Medical George Mathew, Mar Thoma College, Corporation, Traffic Department, Abdul Azeez, P S M O College, are Public Relation Department, Defense joint secretaries, Mohammad Iqbal, Department, Labour & Social Affairs MAMO College, as Treasurer. Ministry and Qatar Petroleum. The new committee has chalked supervised by Sam Vilanilam and socio cultural organization of 20 col- There will be a mass Medical camp out various new programmers for Manikantan, former President, lege alumni’s in Qatar. on May 9 from 8am to 5pm at the the next two year term. The inter- Mashood, former Gen Secretary, Any alumni associations wishing Medical Commission. The sponsors of collegiate cultural fiesta will be con- Dr Wandoor Abu Baker, Kesav to join the confederation could make the campaign are Abdulla Abdul Ghani ducted with added attractions this Dev, V K Varghese also spoke at their inquiries on caakqatar@gmail. & Brothers Company, Malabar Gold & year. the event. Confederation of Alumni com. Diamonds and Welcare Group.