Car import policy at odds with energy agenda

The Gleaner's editorial response, 'A policy of traffic gridlock' (November 24), to the announcement from Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of industry, investment and commerce, regarding his plans to revive the used-car business, along with the rebuttal from the ministry's spokesperson, Hugh Bembridge, 'In defence of car-import policy' (The Sunday Gleaner, November 27) - provides us with a wonderful learning opportunity.

The exchange brings into sharp focus the recurring conflict between short-sighted, quick-fix economic and social policies (which are often associated with myopic thinking and driven by the exigencies of political expediency) and taking the long-view approach to strategic planning decisions that are required to conserve energy in its various forms, including the physical and mental energies of human beings, and what this implies for the development of the island's productive forces.

Some Gleaner readers might recall that on October 17, the paper published a report titled 'Internal logistics slowing growth', summarising the presentation that was made by Ancile Brewster, the country representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), at the 15th annual meeting of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund. According to the report:

"Brewster attributed low productivity and slow productivity to high transport costs which act to cut back on company profit and national development goals.

"The Inter-American Development Bank, in its research publication on productivity edited by Carmen Pages, notes that there is an umbilical connection between total factor productivity and transport costs within an economy, Brewster said.

"In spite of the fact that Jamaica has one of the highest ratios of road networks to area in the world, it is our contention that of the factors that militate against the sustainable and robust development of the Jamaican economy, the poor state of internal logistics in Jamaica, is one of the most debilitating, Brewster stated.

"The assertion, he said, is based on high transport costs per kilometre, on the low-riding comfort index and low average riding speeds, the poor road layout and inadequate levels of maintenance, warehousing and forwarding infrastructure.

"Noting that the implications were significant for agriculture and tourism among other industries, Brewster stated that Jamaica's logistics profile shows high cost per tonne of moving goods between the key producing and consumption centres."

It was also during the same month and year of Mr Brewster's presentation that the Jamaican architect and urban designer, Clifton Yap, pointed out that the excessive number of vehicles (new and used) which were being brought into Jamaica was not only undermining the efforts to develop a more efficient intermodal transportation system, but was also destroying the environment. (See 'Clifton Yap: Transportation's critical effects on urban development', Jamaica Observer, Sunday, October 30).

Systemic reform would reduce both the time and the cost of energy that is required to facilitate the circulation of commodities (including the workers, whose energies are used to produce and distribute these commodities).

Inadequate response

Nowhere in his rebuttal (in what has to be considered an extremely inadequate response to the legitimate concerns raised by The Gleaner) does Mr Bembridge make any kind of attempt to link the ministry's new economic policy on used cars (coming on the eve of the general election) to a long-term agenda to conserve energy and reduce its cost. There was no serious attempt to answer the question posed at the end of the Gleaner editorial: Who ever heard about a decent public transportation system?

Apparently, Mr Bembridge and his ministry colleagues are not interested in hearing about the empirical evidence regarding the negative impact of the overdependence on vehicles that is being provided by the likes of Messrs Brewster and Yap. Their ears are more attuned to the siren songs of the proverbial used-car salesmen (whose ranks may now include women).

Of course, Mr Bembridge tries to cover his tracks with the customary populist-sounding political pitch that is clearly intended to warm the hearts of the lower stratum of the Jamaican working class, many of whom have had to resort to operating taxis because they cannot find a buyer for their labour-power. Points 3 and 4 (from his seven-point rebuttal) are reflective of this type of myopic thinking. Here are two of the seven points from his rebuttal:

"3. Used cars favour low-income earners: Used cars are purchased by persons in the lower socio-economic strata. Given the low level of income, such persons may not be able to buy a new vehicle. In light of inadequate public transport, especially in rural areas, a used car is the preferred option in these areas.

"4. Used cars as rural taxis: Persons who cannot afford their own private vehicles have to resort to public transport and taxis. Again, given the low level of income and fare, taxi operators are not inclined to purchase new cars for use on rural roads, especially in deep-rural areas where buses do not ply."

In essence, Mr Bembridge is implying the following: This is how things are and we have no clear ideas regarding how to go about reorganising the transportation infrastructure to make it more efficient in circulating goods and people across space. In other words, the overdependence on the privately owned automobile, as the primary means of transportation, will remain intact.

In Part 2 of this article, I will put forward, for discussion, an outline of the type of conceptual thinking which I believe is required to serve as a guide in the designing of a modern transportation system which would take into account the far-reaching technical, organisational and spatial changes that are taking place within globalised capitalist production, and the economic options that are realistically available to an island such as Jamaica.

Trevor A. Campbell is a political economist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tcampbell@eee.org.