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Public Transport becomes a real mobility provider

Date

18 Jul 2011

Sections

Transport

 

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) recently reached a new official position on “Combined Mobility”. The document shows how traditional public transport can overcome some of its shortcomings and offer high flexibility and convenience for to  meet mobility demand of modern fellow citizens: by building up the so-called “sustainable mobility alliance” with car-sharing, cycling and taxis, public transport is able to offer a full mobility portfolio and compete with the private car in terms of convenience and cost-structure.

 

The increasing urban sprawl problems, congestion and lack of space are leading our cities to a decline in quality of life while mobility demand rises. Hence, the primary objective of cities in terms of mobility and space allocation is to reduce car use and encourage the use of public transport and other emerging or well-established alternative modes.

 

To this purpose, the Combined Mobility Platform of UITP has put forward some recommendations for a successful collaboration between public transport and so-called Combined Mobility services – car-sharing, car-pooling, bike-sharing, shared taxis, car-pooling etc – in its focus paper “Becoming a real mobility provider”.

 

The document illustrates the economical and ecological benefits of the different combined mobility services when they are in synergy with an efficient public transport system – the backbone of every mobility policy.

 

Our societies can take advantages of such benefits only if:

 

  • public transport plays its active role in developing partnerships with combined mobility services or even take the lead on them.
  • public authorities collaborate within an adequate policy framework and together build up a mobility policy aiming at offering citizens the possibility to live their city without owning a car.

 

The full document is available at: http://www.uitp.org/publications/positions.cfm

 

The UITP conference “Urban Governance: Getting people on board” on 5-7 October 2011 in Gothenburg, Sweden, will offer further elements to understand how our cities are developing innovative strategies to achieve a more sustainable mobility (http://gothenburg.uitp-events-expo.org).

 

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Notes to the Editors

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network of public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It is a platform for worldwide cooperation, business development and the sharing of know-how between its 3,400 members from 92 countries. UITP is the global advocate of public transport and sustainable mobility, and the promoter of innovations in the sector. Visit our website www.uitp.org

 

Press Contact: Sarah D'Angelo | UITP Press Junior Manager

Direct phone: +32 (0)2 6636639 | Fax: +32 (0)2 6601072 | sarah.dangelo@uitp.org