Smart Move further broadens its geographical scope to promote safe, green, efficient, user-friendly and affordable bus and coach transport in Brazil and Mexico.

Oporto– Following the launch of the Smart Move website in Portuguese in Spring 2010, the Smart Move campaign was launched today in Brazil and Mexico during the 35th jubilee celebrations of the Portuguese Bus and Coach Association (ANTROP).

Officially launched at Busworld Kortrijk on 14 October 2009, Smart Move is a joint long-term industry campaign, promoting a greater use of collective passenger transport by bus and coach worldwide, as the greenest, safest and most affordable and efficient mode of road transport.

José Luíz Santolin, Secretary General of the Brazilian Bus and Coach Association (ABRATI) said: « We are delighted to offer our support and promote the objective and the values of the Smart Move campaign in Brazil. This is a very useful initiative, in the interest of both our sector and society as a whole».

Lic. Cuauhtémoc Martinez Garcia, President of the Mexican Chamber of Passenger and Tourism Road Transport (CANAPAT), added: “We at CANAPAT, the leading bus and coach industry association in Mexico, do believe that buses and coaches are already today and will remain tomorrow the smartest mobility choice for our customers and policy makers. It is only natural therefore, that we join Smart Move and contribute to this global industry effort.”

Buses and coaches are the best solution to a range of current and future mobility challenges, such as climate change, congestion, road safety, connectivity and social inclusion. They are the only transport mode which can successfully compete with the private car in offering a sustainable transport alternative while maintaining a high level of flexibility.

Graham Smith, IRU Vice President, said: “Smart Move’s vision is that buses and coaches must be recognised by policy makers across the globe for what they are: the ultimate collective transport mode to achieve sustainable mobility for all.”

Promoting the use of buses and coaches brings substantial benefits to society and communities in terms of:

·                     Better social inclusiveness and increased opportunities for all citizens to rely on affordable and high quality transport services at negligible costs for society;

·                     considerable improvement in road safety and reduction of road fatalities;

·                     decrease in CO2 emissions and a spectacular reduction of congestion in cities at zero cost for taxpayers;

·                     creation of millions of new green jobs.

Luís Cabaço Martins, President of ANTROP concluded: “We are proud that at the moment ANTROP is celebrating its 35th anniversary, our Brazilian and Mexican colleagues decided to join Smart Move. We do believe in the success of this unprecedented joint effort, which aims at mobilising industry and politicians to create together a genuine culture of using the services of collective passenger transport by bus and coach – indeed a smart move for all.

* * * ENDS * * *

Read more: Smart Move factsheets : Safe , User-friendly, Green, Efficient, Affordable

Visit the Smart Move website

Press contacts:

IRU, Juliette Ebélé, +41 22 918 27 07, press@iru.org;

ABRATI, José Luiz Santolin, +61 3322 2004, santolin@abrati.org.br;

CANAPAT, Lic. Felice Minutti López Velarde, +52 55 3067 4820, fminutti@canapat.org.mx;

ANTROP, Maria-Paula Bramão, +351 22 606 13 50, bus@antrop.pt