ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the range of public health impacts from urban transport and presents new mechanisms to harness this information, so it can contribute to the public health of urban populations and the quality of the city environment, and encourage the adoption of sustainable urban transport policies. The urban transport policies have overlooked the health and security function provided by street vendors, and pedestrians in general, as streets with people using them are safer from violence and traffic injuries. Street vendors and others who work in traffic, such as police officers, suffer more from air pollution disorders and are at higher risk from traffic injuries. A large proportion of air pollution emissions is attributed to transport, especially in urban areas with large volumes of road traffic. The health effects of air pollution observed in epidemiological studies seem to be greater in lower socioeconomic groups.