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

  • New mobility services could benefit city dwellers and make public transport more affordable
    November 3, 2017
    New mobility services integrated into mass transit systems could improve the lives of all urban inhabitants and make public transport more affordable, accessible and sustainable, according to research from the Coalition for Urban Transitions (CfUT). It also presents the first global survey of new mobility services, and identifies emerging trends and opportunities for decision-makers in both the public and private sectors.
  • AV technology ‘could reduce congestion’, says Australian minister
    February 26, 2019
    Congestion costs would drop by more than a quarter if automated vehicles (AVs) account for 30% of kilometres travelled, says Alan Tudge, Australia’s minister for cites urban infrastructure and population. Speaking at the Australia-New Zealand Cities Symposium in Sydney, Tudge revealed findings from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. “They estimate it would drop from $37 billion of avoidable congestion to $27 billion,” Tudge says. A 30km freeway journey in Melbourne has increas
  • Tokyo snaps up lead in transit performance, says Snapper
    October 29, 2024
    Japan's capital tops on-time table using new comparative Mosaiq Global Transit Index
  • Carrots are proving cost-effective in Netherlands
    October 3, 2018
    There are lessons to be learned from congestion avoidance schemes in the Netherlands. David Crawford welcomes some new thinking in road pricing. Highway operators worldwide are being urged to learn from Dutch experience in using financial carrots rather than sticks to encourage drivers to avoid contributing to congestion. A Netherlands/UK group makes a convincing cost/benefit case in a new global survey of road pricing technologies, economics and acceptability. Representing the Rijkswaterstaat section of