Global competition, productivity, profitability, and competitiveness have transformed our cities; one of the side effects being a less sustainable way of living. The resulting health risks are surprisingly diverse - ranging from mental illness, auto immune and heart diseases, arthritis and cancer, to fertility problems, hyperactivity, stress and depression. Furthermore, the likelihood of developing these disorders has been steadily increasing in urban areas.
Obesity is another issue in many parts of the world, mainly due to more sedentary lifestyles and the proliferation of unhealthy (highly processed) foods in our diets.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor of death worldwide. Approximately 3.2 million people die each year due to physical inactivity, it reports.
In response to these concerns, and through its contacts with the WHO, UITP is making the case for ‘healthy mobility’. “If you use pt, at least you are moving around a little more than if sitting in a car,” says Mr Flausch.
He agrees that having no cars in cities is a nice idea, but would settle for no cars within major cities, or when they are not essential, pointing out that while pt services are generally good in major cities, they are often less so elsewhere – making it more difficult to convince people to give up their private wheels. Also, he adds, the levels of congestion in medium-sized cities, although growing, have not yet reached ‘critical level’; hence there is less incentive (for the time being) for inhabitants to make a modal shift.
“I was recently in Algiers and was astonished by just how congested the city is!” he exclaims. “More and more people here are in a position to buy a car, plus the pt alternatives are very poor – a typical journey takes twice as long by bus than by car.”
Shifting sands
Millennials appear to care less about owning a car than their parents. “Manufacturers say it is because they cannot afford to buy the vehicles, yet there is also the fact that this demographic prefers to put his or her money into other things,” points out Mr Flausch. A car owner himself “through necessity,” he explains why: “Where I live in the south of Brussels, the pt connections are not so good. But I’m in the process of switching over to a motorbike!” he hastens to add.
Car, ride, and bike sharing services are all contributing towards giving pt a makeover, reflecting the changing needs, expectations, and priorities of life in the 21st century. At the same time, they are playing a valuable role in changing attitudes towards travel. The rise of this sharing economy (note, which still depends on a degree of ownership) is one of the great unexpected benefits of the digital age, with different players now entering or repositioning themselves in the mobility chain.
Digitisation (n): the integration of digital technologies into everyday life
One of the drawbacks of using pt, until the advent of digitisation, has been the many questions it raised. Modes, timetables, stops, journey planning, payment, disruptions… all these elements of the journey chain can, and are being enhanced by the uptake of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver better services in real time.
“Digitisation is really acting as a facilitator – helping to ease the thinking process,” says Mr Flausch. “During journeys when there are delays, for instance, obtaining information on alternative routes, modes of transport etc. »
Yes, digital is changing the way people view and use pt. Previously it was more a case of travelling into relatively unchartered territory. Now there are enhancements such as real-time displays giving the minutes to the next bus arriving.
Bye bye back end of a bus?
Probably the least loved mode of pt, the bus is nevertheless a mainstay of the sector. Indeed urban and regional bus systems carry around half of all pt passengers (30 million per year) in the European Union (EU). “The bus is typically considered inferior, but in the past decade I think the industry has been doing a good job to change perceptions,” comments Mr Flausch. “It has improved aspects such as the design, developed new propulsion systems, and is now making them less polluting.”
Over the years, UITP has been supporting development of the electric bus (e-bus) through its participation in a number of dedicated projects, of which ZeEUS – Zero Emission Urban bus Systems – is the most recent. Mr Flausch is enthusiastic about e-bus technology “as long as the electricity is done properly.” Here he cites Sweden, whose supply is either nuclear or hydro generated, as a model, “making it pretty clean” compared to Germany, where one third of its electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
Despite its weak points, with regards to reducing polluting emissions Mr Flausch still reckons “the bus is doing very well,” adding “although whether or when the e-bus will come on stream commercially is another question.” The stumbling block here being that manufacturers are divided on which fuel technology in particular is likely to dominate in the coming years: some have decided to switch their vehicles from Euro 6 directly to electric; others envision a progression from Euro 6 to hybrid to electric. These differing approaches are bound to impact uptake going forward.
“Yet in the meantime, up to 2020-2025, the external pressures on public transport operators to decrease their emissions, coupled with internal pressures to reduce operating expenses, are bound to grow,” points out Mr Flausch. “Take Brussels [STIB transport authority] as just a case in point, which is no longer passing orders for diesel buses from 2015.”
Another drawback to the uptake of the e-bus is cost related, with a vehicle priced at around €300,000 compared to €200,000 for a diesel. Mr Flausch is not unduly concerned by this predicament; he is confident that given time the price barrier will drop. “Plus don’t forget,” he is quick to add, “over time operators will recoup this extra investment by savings in fuel and life cycle costs.”
Rendez-vous in Milan
All of the above topics, and plenty more besides, will be covered at the Congress. “We have a good programme,” says an upbeat Mr Flausch, “which includes a new event – Mayors’ Day, on June 9. Basically it’s a first step for UITP in trying to work more closely with local decision makers – as they are increasingly influential in questions of climate change, urbanism & public transport. So we’ll see how it goes.
“We will also be making available ‘Public Transport Trends’ [at the press centre], the first report of its kind examining the main issues affecting the sector at the moment,” he expands. “It explores everything from smart cities and open data to liberalisation and corporate management, and while not exhaustive, is certainly excellent material.”
Obesity is another issue in many parts of the world, mainly due to more sedentary lifestyles and the proliferation of unhealthy (highly processed) foods in our diets.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor of death worldwide. Approximately 3.2 million people die each year due to physical inactivity, it reports.
In response to these concerns, and through its contacts with the WHO, UITP is making the case for ‘healthy mobility’. “If you use pt, at least you are moving around a little more than if sitting in a car,” says Mr Flausch.
He agrees that having no cars in cities is a nice idea, but would settle for no cars within major cities, or when they are not essential, pointing out that while pt services are generally good in major cities, they are often less so elsewhere – making it more difficult to convince people to give up their private wheels. Also, he adds, the levels of congestion in medium-sized cities, although growing, have not yet reached ‘critical level’; hence there is less incentive (for the time being) for inhabitants to make a modal shift.
“I was recently in Algiers and was astonished by just how congested the city is!” he exclaims. “More and more people here are in a position to buy a car, plus the pt alternatives are very poor – a typical journey takes twice as long by bus than by car.”
Shifting sands
Millennials appear to care less about owning a car than their parents. “Manufacturers say it is because they cannot afford to buy the vehicles, yet there is also the fact that this demographic prefers to put his or her money into other things,” points out Mr Flausch. A car owner himself “through necessity,” he explains why: “Where I live in the south of Brussels, the pt connections are not so good. But I’m in the process of switching over to a motorbike!” he hastens to add.
Car, ride, and bike sharing services are all contributing towards giving pt a makeover, reflecting the changing needs, expectations, and priorities of life in the 21st century. At the same time, they are playing a valuable role in changing attitudes towards travel. The rise of this sharing economy (note, which still depends on a degree of ownership) is one of the great unexpected benefits of the digital age, with different players now entering or repositioning themselves in the mobility chain.
Digitisation (n): the integration of digital technologies into everyday life
One of the drawbacks of using pt, until the advent of digitisation, has been the many questions it raised. Modes, timetables, stops, journey planning, payment, disruptions… all these elements of the journey chain can, and are being enhanced by the uptake of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver better services in real time.
“Digitisation is really acting as a facilitator – helping to ease the thinking process,” says Mr Flausch. “During journeys when there are delays, for instance, obtaining information on alternative routes, modes of transport etc. »
Yes, digital is changing the way people view and use pt. Previously it was more a case of travelling into relatively unchartered territory. Now there are enhancements such as real-time displays giving the minutes to the next bus arriving.
Bye bye back end of a bus?
Probably the least loved mode of pt, the bus is nevertheless a mainstay of the sector. Indeed urban and regional bus systems carry around half of all pt passengers (30 million per year) in the European Union (EU). “The bus is typically considered inferior, but in the past decade I think the industry has been doing a good job to change perceptions,” comments Mr Flausch. “It has improved aspects such as the design, developed new propulsion systems, and is now making them less polluting.”
Over the years, UITP has been supporting development of the electric bus (e-bus) through its participation in a number of dedicated projects, of which ZeEUS – Zero Emission Urban bus Systems – is the most recent. Mr Flausch is enthusiastic about e-bus technology “as long as the electricity is done properly.” Here he cites Sweden, whose supply is either nuclear or hydro generated, as a model, “making it pretty clean” compared to Germany, where one third of its electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
Despite its weak points, with regards to reducing polluting emissions Mr Flausch still reckons “the bus is doing very well,” adding “although whether or when the e-bus will come on stream commercially is another question.” The stumbling block here being that manufacturers are divided on which fuel technology in particular is likely to dominate in the coming years: some have decided to switch their vehicles from Euro 6 directly to electric; others envision a progression from Euro 6 to hybrid to electric. These differing approaches are bound to impact uptake going forward.
“Yet in the meantime, up to 2020-2025, the external pressures on public transport operators to decrease their emissions, coupled with internal pressures to reduce operating expenses, are bound to grow,” points out Mr Flausch. “Take Brussels [STIB transport authority] as just a case in point, which is no longer passing orders for diesel buses from 2015.”
Another drawback to the uptake of the e-bus is cost related, with a vehicle priced at around €300,000 compared to €200,000 for a diesel. Mr Flausch is not unduly concerned by this predicament; he is confident that given time the price barrier will drop. “Plus don’t forget,” he is quick to add, “over time operators will recoup this extra investment by savings in fuel and life cycle costs.”
Rendez-vous in Milan
All of the above topics, and plenty more besides, will be covered at the Congress. “We have a good programme,” says an upbeat Mr Flausch, “which includes a new event – Mayors’ Day, on June 9. Basically it’s a first step for UITP in trying to work more closely with local decision makers – as they are increasingly influential in questions of climate change, urbanism & public transport. So we’ll see how it goes.
“We will also be making available ‘Public Transport Trends’ [at the press centre], the first report of its kind examining the main issues affecting the sector at the moment,” he expands. “It explores everything from smart cities and open data to liberalisation and corporate management, and while not exhaustive, is certainly excellent material.”