Transformational Changes Facing Public Transport: Threat or Opportunity?

March 4, 2015

Public transport is heading in a new direction: the urban mobility landscape is changing rapidly and is defining the way people move around cities the world over. The changes and challenges facing the sector and how public transport can reaffirm its role in the city will be the focus of the upcoming UITP World Congress & Exhibition June 8-10 in Milan.

UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, will hold its biennial World Congress & Exhibition at a time when public transport is facing unprecedented challenges: ensuring the sector remains the integrator with the arrival of new mobility services (from the likes of banks, telcos and IT giants); selecting the right transport modes for mega urban development projects; harnessing open data to enhance the traveller experience and finding a new business model that will help pay for it all.  

The Congress will offer an in-depth overview of what’s happening in public transport now, from the challenges of integrating public transport into tomorrow’s ‘smart cities’ to building alliances with business leaders to make the case for congestion-cutting sustainable mobility projects.

Health will also be on the agenda for the first time at the UITP World Congress & Exhibition. A high-level session will be dedicated to helping cities rid themselves of the scourge of air pollution. With 3.2 million people dying each year due to physical inactivity, this session will also make case for promoting active urban lifestyles.  

Meanwhile the Exhibition will provide a unique insight into the very latest innovations in the fields of bus, rail and IT solutions that are transforming the face of urban mobility as we know it.    

“The focus of the UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan will be looking at the challenges facing the public transport sector and putting a spotlight on some of the cities that are leading the way with ambitious development plans,” said UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch. “This World Congress & Exhibition will be a forum for the bold policies, solutions and products that will make tomorrow’s cities more attractive, prosperous and healthier.”