Skip to main content

UITP reveals promising growth in public transport modal share

Back in 2009, the public transport sector set itself a goal: double its market share worldwide by 2025 to make cities more liveable and more productive. Today, in 2015, on the occasion of the biennial UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan this week, UITP presented a report to illustrate the urban policies that are moving cities closer to that goal. In a report presented at the plenary session of the World Congress, UITP research points to a general increase in public transport modal share thanks to
June 10, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Back in 2009, the public transport sector set itself a goal: double its market share worldwide by 2025 to make cities more liveable and more productive. Today, in 2015, on the occasion of the biennial UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan this week, UITP presented a report to illustrate the urban policies that are moving cities closer to that goal.  

In a report presented at the plenary session of the World Congress, UITP research points to a general increase in public transport modal share thanks to efforts to boost supply, control private car use and increase urban density. This is particularly noticeable in cities in developed countries.

The growth has been particularly marked in Oslo, London and Paris where there has been more than a 10 per cent increase in modal share, whilst cities such as Prague, Berlin or Rome show a reversal of a previous trend whereby public transport’s market share had been decreasing. There are also positive developments in cities with already significant modal shares, such as Vienna, Geneva, Singapore and Hong Kong. Other cities such as Munich and Stockholm have taken great strides in boosting walking and cycling with a marked decrease in private car reliance.

In developing countries, however, whilst efforts are being made to increase public transport supply, there is also increasing motorisation due to a general lack of measures to manage private car use, meaning that globally, there is still much work to be done to fulfil the goals of the UITP strategy.      

Professor Lewis Fulton from the University of California Davis commented on the report during the plenary session at the congress and presented his conclusions on the economic implications of a high shift to public transport scenario.

“Our strategy to double the market share of public transport worldwide by 2025 is about cities: making them better places to live and work,” said UITP secretary general Alain Flausch. He went on to say that the data shows that cities with a higher public transport market share use less of their urban space for transport, releasing space for recreational as well as economically-productive functions. He said the results so far show great cause for optimism but also highlight the work that still needs to be done in terms of increasing urban density and managing private car use in order to reach UITP’s ambitious 2025 objective.

Related Content

  • UITP, ITF welcome UN plan to advance sustainable transport
    November 1, 2016
    Both the UITP and the International Transport Forum (ITF) have welcomed the United Nations High-Level Advisory Group report which recommends that greener, more efficient and sustainable transport can save trillions and help achieve the sustainable development goals. According to the report, Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for Development, greater investment in greener, more sustainable transport systems is essential for propelling the economic and social development that is vital to achieving the Sustai
  • Digital twins help city space race
    October 26, 2022
    As the world becomes more urbanised, there is a need to monitor the likely effects this will have on the way we live, says Jeroen Borst of TNO, the Dutch organisation for applied scientific research
  • UITP releases ‘Combined Mobility’ position paper
    April 19, 2012
    The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) has reached a new official position on ‘Combined Mobility’. The document shows how traditional public transport can overcome some of its shortcomings and offer high flexibility and convenience so as to meet mobility demand of modern fellow citizens: by building up the so-called ‘sustainable mobility alliance’ with car-sharing, cycling and taxis, public transport is able to offer a full mobility portfolio and compete with the private car in terms of co
  • #ITSSeville2025: registration is open!
    March 18, 2025
    16th ITS European Congress runs in Spanish city from 19-21 May