The backbone of any populous city lies in its transportation system. One has to comprehend the fact that the transport system facilitates proper commutation of the people of the city, and it keeps the city on the go by connecting the places. It can be opined that the system of transports in a city is quite like the blood circulation of the human body- something that means that a city would become dysfunctional if the transport system gets thwarted in some way. To gauge the immense importance of transport system, one needs to consider the modes, structures and systems of the transport system of the major cities of the world like London and Paris. A comparative study between the two city’s transport systems would enable one to have a clearer idea about the dynamics that come into play for running the cities.
Paris is one of the most populous cities in the entire world, and the population goes up to millions of people. Likewise, London too is a city that is very densely populated. Hence, there is utmost need of efficient, quick and economically priced transport facilities of the citizens of both the cities. The debate over the controlled use of cars is common in both of these cities in context. It has to be taken into account that the tramways in both London and Paris were very important in the transit scheme in the early 20th century. It has to be remembered that almost a third of the traffic was carried by trams in both the cities. According to Turner (1922), “the tramway system of Paris” carried “the long-haul traffic from central Paris to points outside of the fortifications in extra Paris.” Both the cities have come a long way from that time, and the transport systems have got greatly developed. Both the cities face challenges to make public transport more accessible to one and all. Since the population is on the rise in both of the milieus, the primary challenge is to keep the development of the transport system as a continuous process so as to ensure smooth commutation and convenience of the people.
One has to take into consideration the fact that Paris has some advantages as the central area is relatively small in area and the density of residences is quite high. This helps in the development of the public transport. According to the government committee report, “Transport in Paris” (2003), in Paris, “there appears to be a strong, civic commitment to ensuring long term sustainable investment for public transport.” In Paris, public transport is seen as a necessary factor for the economic and social development. The companies that are involved in the policy development of transports get more certain due to the principles regarding transport system. Paris is quite developed in certain factors. Paris can be described to be much more advanced than London in the implementation of anti-crime and safety features into the interchanges and design of stations. In Paris, the transport providers can form subsidiary companies that have the room to bid for working elsewhere. This in turn helps in bringing additional revenues for the companies.
However, London is superior to the transport system of Paris in some ways. London is far ahead of the city of Paris in its venture to develop more robust systems of public consultation and accountability. This enables the transport system of London in the identification of problems so as to ensure better transportation for the suburbs through specific initiatives for the cause. Moreover, the political machinery in London is less complex in comparison to Paris, and this helps the process of designing the transport policy with more ease and transparency. In London, the London Assembly has a major role to play in increasing the means by which the concerns of the locale get reflected with accuracy for the purpose of the development of the transport system. Also, the transport providers are held into account so as to enhance the performance management of the city.
In London, the TFL (Transport for London) plays a huge role in the transport system of the city. The TFL has a total of three units and all of these units are given responsibility for various aspects of the organization. These units are Surface Transport, Rail and Underground, and Crossrail. The Surface Transport goes on to consist of cycling, buses, river services, cabs, private hire, streets, and so on. On the other hand, the Rail and Underground unit consists of the tram, TFL rail, underground, over-ground, and so on. According to Transport of London website, the crossroad “is a joint venture between Transport for London and the Department for Transport to build a new railway linking Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.” Thus, the transport system of London is very intricately designed to serve the needs of the people of the city. On the other hand, Paris too has buses, cabs, rails, and so on to facilitate the transportation for the people of the city.
The Underground railway is another point of consideration for both the cities of London and Paris. The London Underground was constructed in the early 20th century, and was made mainly to ferry the people of the outer suburban parts to the centre. The underground transports of the two cities are built for different purposes, and in London there are as many as 270 tube stations. According to “Annual Reports and Statement of Records” (2014), “The Tube is carrying more people than ever before – and with dramatically improved reliability.” The stations are spread over a vast span of area that ranges from 30 km from west to east and 20 km from south to north. According to Docherty and Shaw (2011), the underground rail “forms an essential element in the transport system.” The scenario can be compared to that of the city of Paris. According to Elledge (2015), “In Paris, by contrast, the metro was built primarily to get people around the city itself; and while some lines extend into the neighboring communes, many don't make it beyond the Périphérique.” In Paris there are as many as 245 stations within the city while the area has a radius of about 5 km. Thus, it can be comprehended that the Paris Metro is much denser in comparison to that in London.
According to Stanbridge and Hendy, Paris “is reliant on central government grants for just 19.4 per cent of its income, and its transport authority has a secure stream of funding until 2030.” In stark comparison, only 7 percent of the tax that gets raised in the city gets controlled by the major of London. Hence, the city is almost totally dependent on the central government for funding. Moreover, the local financing has helped the city of Paris to start on a €22.6bn (£16.4bn) project – The Grand Paris Express – that aims to start a new metro system and thus totally overhaul the ring road around Paris. One has to take into consideration the fact that the project is calculated to deliver €67bn in wider economic benefits. Apart from this 70 thousand new homes would be built every year in proximity of the new 69 stations that would start. Such a huge venture could only be possible as there is a sustainable source of money for the projects of transportations.
It would be correct to conclude by saying that both the cities of London and Paris need to develop more in the domain of public transportation system so as to facilitate the lives of the commoners who dwell in the respective cities. According to Focas (1992), there are “many profound differences, particularly with respect to urban structure and traditions of governments”, but both need to learn from one another the ways of development and planning. The path of betterment can be reached by holistic development of both the cities in context.
Bibliography
Docherty, Iain & Jon Shaw, eds. 2011, A New Deal for Transport, Blackwell Publishing, New Jersey.
Elledge, John. ‘Paris has one of the densest metro networks in the world. So we've superimposed it on London’ 2015, City Metric, 13 July.
Focas, Caralampo. 1992, Paris, London: A Comparison of Transport Systems, H.M. Stationery Office, London.
Mayor of London. 2014, ‘Annual Report and Statement of Accounts’, Transport For London.
‘Our Role’, Transport for London website, viewed 21 July 2015,
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/how-we-work/our-role?intcmp=2670
Stanbridge C. & Hendy P. ‘London should take a cue from Paris to build transport of the future’ 2015, City A.M., 27 Feb.
Turner, D.L. 1922. ‘New York, London, Paris and Berlin Transit Compared’, Electric Railway Journal, Vol. 60, No. 23, pp. 883.
2003, ‘Transport in Paris’, London Assembly Transport Committee, viewed 21 July 2015,
http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/archives/assembly-reports-transport-paris_report.pdf
