The workshop was part of the EcoMobility Dialogues 2015 in Johannesburg South Africa and described principles of TDM (Travel Demand Management). Travel demand management (TDM) seeks to maximize the efficiency of urban transport systems by discouraging individual automobile use and promoting more effective, healthy and environment-friendly and non motorised modes of transport and reducing commuting journeys. The workshop described various TDM policies with a main focus on parking management.

Our cities are constantly grappling with growing private transport and often solutions such as providing more roads are sought as a way out. Research shows that such supply side solution would only lead to more traffic and hence congestion. A proven way out is to manage travel demand, which was the crux of todays’ workshop on Transport Demand Management (TDM).

The workshop was jointly conducted by the German International Development (GIZ) and ICLEI. Over 40 participants attended the workshop and comprised of international agencies, development banks, city officials, NGOs and media. The central concept underlined in the workshop was that, to have liveable and sustainable transport in cities, we need to have push and pull measures. The push measures enable people to get out of their personal automobiles and the pull measures attract people onto sustainable transport modes.

The importance of walking and cycling in cities was emphasized and experiences from cities that have successfully increased the uptake of cycling were shared. It was underlined by Mr. Kodukula that “for any public transport project to be successful, walking and cycling have to be prioritised”. The training course also concentrated on the concept of parking management, which is a TDM push measure.