ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the chaotic transit modes in big cities that resulted from rapid urbanization at the beginning of the twentieth century, especially after World War I. It discusses the changing pattern of urban transport modes in London, which resulted in serious traffic competition and congestion. After the First World War, the Select Committee on Transport was established in 1919 to deal with the urgent problem of London traffic. The Traffic Advisory Committee introduced the Coordination of Passenger Traffic Bill, but it was severely criticized by the Labour Party, and particularly by Herbert Morrison, a transport expert in London. The chapter describes the historical background of Osaka's transport system, and makes comparisons with Tokyo and its municipal transport policy. It examines how Seki conducted the modernization of transport in Osaka as deputy mayor and later mayor through his extensive academic background in transportation policy and contemporary knowledge of transport in the western world.
