The rapidly evolving mobility world

The world of urban mobility is undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. Over the last couple of years we have seen the rapid emergence of what we call ‘new mobility players’ onto the urban mobility scene.

Whether it’s ride-selling services, free-floating car-sharing, demand responsive shuttles or even autonomous cars, what’s clear is that the traditional ‘private vs public transport’ distinction is starting to become increasingly blurred. The question now is how we best integrate these news services into a holistic, shared mobility offer that is driven by public transport.

We’re living in an age now where younger generations are less interested in owning a car or even obtaining a driving licence than their parents and the emergence of new mobility solutions and players are helping to make car-free urban living a reality.

With the help of a smartphone and an internet connection, users are now within just a few clicks of finding the mobility option, thanks to emerging ‘Mobility as a Service’ platforms. What’s more, though still in its nascent stages, the autonomous vehicle is set to play a key role in urban mobility in the years to come as part of integrated public transport networks.

UITP studies have shown that a broader mix of mobility services is the answer to ever more complex mobility needs. In cities with high-quality public transport, complemented with services such as car-sharing, bike-sharing, cycling infrastructure, shared taxi services and ride-sharing options, people can move around more easily.

This offers the flexibility and convenience of a private car, without the negative externalities. Nevertheless, there will be times when a car is needed; here, car-based services (eg. car-sharing) are the obvious solution to complement ‘traditional’ public transport as they offer the benefits of a car without the expense or hassle of ownership.

With space at such a premium in modern cities, public transport is easily the most efficient in terms of capacity, particularly on major corridors and in peak hours. Studies exploring future urban mobility with shared and autonomous vehicles undertaken by the International Transport Forum show that the most effective combination of modes always include high capacity public transport at their core.

With increasing urbanisation and the rise in demand for mobility, cities will need to plan carefully in the future to maximise the use of finite urban space and to develop high-quality public transport that presents an attractive alternative to low capacity private car journeys. No one single solution exists, but the cities that outperform the rest of the pack in terms of quality of life and economic growth will be those that place public transport at the core of their planning and complemented by a host of new mobility services.

Indeed, public transport accounts for 1.2 billion trips across the globe each day and it is this vital ‘backbone’ role that it plays, in combination with new mobility services, that will help our cities become less car dependent in the years to come.

Category: Blog Urban Mobility

Tags: passenger rail public transport railway

About the author

Alain Flausch was selected Secretary General of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in September 2011 by UITP Executive Board. This choice acknowledged the long-standing engagement of Mr. Flausch on the international stage.

Chairman of the sub-committee Finance & Commerce of the International Metro Committee (2001-2009), he was also member of the UITP Executive and Policy Boards (2004-2009), Executive member of the International Metro Committee (UITP- 2001/2009), member of the Transport Management Committee (UITP) and Chairman of the Design & Culture Platform.

Mr. Flausch was also elected President of UITP during the Association’s 58th World Congress in Vienna in June 2009.