Skip to main content

Report: ‘efficient public transport could save US$800 billion’

A new study of transport systems in 35 major cities around the world has revealed that an efficient public transport network can provide these cities with an economic value of up to US$238 billion annually by 2030. Siemens commissioned the study which was presented on Monday alongside the World Cities Summit in Singapore. London-based consulting firm Credo, which conducted The Mobility Opportunity study, said that these economic benefits could reach up to US$800 billion annually if the study is extended
June 5, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
A new study of transport systems in 35 major cities around the world has revealed that an efficient public transport network can provide these cities with an economic value of up to US$238 billion annually by 2030.

189 Siemens commissioned the study which was presented on Monday alongside the World Cities Summit in Singapore. London-based consulting firm Credo, which conducted The Mobility Opportunity study, said that these economic benefits could reach up to US$800 billion annually if the study is extended to all comparably-sized cities globally with a population of around 750,000 and higher.

The report noted that the costs of inefficient transport are influenced by factors such as journey times, crowding and density of the transport networks, which impact a city’s productivity.

While conducting the study, Credo said it compared and assessed the cities based on the leading cities in their category, which enabled them to quantify how much benefit a transport investment could bring to a city.

Of the 35 cities compared in three categories - well-established cities, high density compact cities and emerging cities – the report concludes that the most cost-efficient cities are Copenhagen in Denmark, Singapore and Santiago in Chile respectively.

Singapore was cited in the report as having the leading transportation networks of any high-density city in the world and should be an example to other similar compact municipalities. Singapore’s capacity to meet the demand of increasing urbanisation was credited in the study as a crucial achievement.

The best transportation systems are those in cities that could move people quickly, easily, and comfortably to their destination, noted Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens’s infrastructure and cities sector.

“The leading cities are already achieving this with efficient transport networks that feature modern infrastructure, easy connections across various modes of transportation, and, above all, a clear strategy of how to meet future needs,” explained Busch.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Why the US said ‘yes’ to public transportation on 8 November
    March 29, 2017
    Historic funding boost reflects America’s awareness of transit’s contribution to economic growth and quality of life. Something unexpected happened on Election Day 2016, a result nobody expected; public transportation was a clear winner. There were 49 transit-related funding initiatives on ballots across the nation, of which about 70% were passed.
  • Internet now available in majority of world’s major subway systems
    March 23, 2012
    A comprehensive new survey of global subway systems shows that passengers on most of the world’s large underground systems can access the wireless Internet when they travel.
  • ITS UK Awards 2024: and the winners are...
    November 11, 2024

    ITS UK revealed the winners of its prestigious annual Awards at its 18th President’s Dinner last week.

    Organisation president and former UK transport minister Steve Norris presented the trophies across 16 categories.

    "Many congratulations to all the winners of the ITS UK Annual Awards," said Max Sugarman, chief executive of ITS UK.

  • Hamburg to bid for 2021 ITS World Congress
    August 26, 2016
    ITS Germany used its presence at the June 2016 Europe ITS Congress in Glasgow to make two major announcements from the city of Hamburg, country’s second-largest urban area. First came a formal bid to host the 2021 ITS World Congress; second, the global unveiling of new Roadwork Administration and Decision System (ROADS) software.ROADS has emerged to enable coordination of planned transport construction projects several years before start dates, to minimise impacts on traffic flows when work begins.