Making public transport the preferred transport option is at the core of the ‘PTx2’ strategy of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), which aims to double the public transport market share worldwide by 2025. Due to changing customer expectations, this will be one of the major issues to be discussed at the 59th UITP World Congress & Exhibition, hosted by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) from 10 to 14 April 2011 in Dubai.

Modern society is creating new mobility needs and new usages. Citizens benefit from a growing choice of transport modes, and compare transport performance with other services. Customers expect mobility solutions that are quick, safe and secure, convenient, reliable, clean and affordable.

To achieve this, public transport companies need to meet two challenges: on the one hand, they must keep pace with their clients’ needs in order to deliver quality innovative services and make people change their attitudes and behaviour; on the other, they must change their corporate culture from a fleet manager to a customer-oriented company and boost the sector’s potential and attractiveness.

In Dubai, the international public transport community from around the globe, from Japan to Switzerland and from Norway to the US, will demonstrate how it is possible to adopt a customer-oriented culture. Best practices will illustrate how to innovate to meet the evolving needs of customers, how to develop a portfolio of services to offer integrated mobility solutions and ultimately how to make travel time a positive experience for customers.

“New generations no longer unconditionally associate the feeling of freedom and fulfilment with car ownership. They find that unconstrained mobility can also be provided by other means. In this regard, offering lifestyle services to customers can truly make public transport a new status symbol,” stated UITP Secretary General, Hans Rat.

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Notes to Editors

UITP (International Association of Public Transport) is the international network for 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 for public transport and sustainable mobility, and the promoter of innovations in the sector. For more information, please visit www.uitp.org. For more information about the 59th UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition, please visit http://www.uitpdubai2011.org.

For more information about the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA), please visit www.rta.ae.

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

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