Do you know the work carried out by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)? In this post, we will delve into the activity of this association, which represents key players in the sector worldwide: transport authorities, public and private operators, industry companies… It currently brings together 1800 organizations and companies from one hundred countries.
The UITP was founded in Belgium in 1885, driven by the desire of several entrepreneurs to share technical and economic issues related to tram concessions; at that time, aspects such as the feeding and watering of the horses pulling these vehicles were discussed.
Over the years, the organization expanded, attracting companies and organizations dedicated to other means of urban public transport (trains, metros, buses, bicycles, taxis, or shared cars, among others). Today, UITP has 17 offices spread across five continents, and its main task is to promote sustainable urban mobility through the study and exchange of best practices worldwide. To achieve its objective, it has three interconnected but distinct missions or strategies:
* **Advocacy & Outreach:** This area is dedicated to establishing links with decision-makers and international organizations to promote sustainable mobility solutions. This section is supported by its own studies and documents that reflect the advantages of investing in public transport.
* **Knowledge:** This area is dedicated to creating common spaces for associates where they can exchange challenges and experiences in more than 25 thematic committees and numerous projects.
* **Networking:** This space is reserved for the promotion and development of UITP members’ businesses.
In addition to these three missions, there is the **UITP Academy**, which offers up to 60 training programs worldwide, delving into the tactical, strategic, and operational aspects of sustainable urban mobility.
To learn more about UITP’s projects, we spoke with **Dionisio González, Director of Advocacy & Outreach**.
**When did Dionisio González join UITP, and how would you describe your experience so far?**
I have known UITP for many years. Before joining as Director of Advocacy in May 2017, I had the good fortune to work for 18 years at the Regional Transport Consortium of Madrid, which was a member of UITP. At that time, I was able to participate in various committees and working groups.
The experience has been very positive, combining practical knowledge of the sector’s reality in Spain with learnings from other parts of the world, leveraging all of this to support investments in public transport infrastructure and services, strive for better governance and regulation, build alliances, and so on.
Public transport is essential for the balanced development of metropolitan areas, facilitating the achievement of strategic city objectives: improved quality of life, social inclusion, better air quality, or economic competitiveness, among others. These are the objectives of the alliances in which we continue to work with partners such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, national public transport associations, multilateral banks, and others.
**What milestones would you highlight since your arrival?**
Perhaps two distinct moments, before and after the crisis. On the one hand, our joint work with the World Health Organization at the 1st Global Conference on Air Quality, October 2018, and the celebration of COP 25 in Madrid, December 2019, where we presented the global campaign ONEPLANET, which was joined by Mayors and Ministers from around the world as ambassadors.
On the other hand, undoubtedly, the intense crisis management, during which, from my point of view, UITP has shown its usefulness as a global exchange platform, and during which we have learned a great deal every day from our partners worldwide.
**Could you tell us a bit more about how the pandemic has affected things and the role UITP has played in it?**
We are facing a global pandemic that is profoundly exacerbating inequalities and reversing the progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, pushing more than 150 million people into poverty, according to World Bank estimates.
Thanks to the UITP network, we have a very up-to-date picture of what is happening in mobility globally. For example, our partners anticipated the problem for us as early as the beginning of 2020, as well as a significant part of the solutions, what worked and what didn’t, how to apply each measure, where to acquire certain products… And then these solutions were exported to other places.
This was one of the main demands from partners at first: the practical exchange of data, procedures, and solutions among professionals who were on the front lines, and we are very proud of this, as it has guaranteed the mobility of essential workers.
In addition to this internal exchange among partners, we have intensified our advocacy efforts at all levels (local, regional, national governments, the European Union, the United Nations, City Associations, the World Health Organization, etc.) to ensure that public transport has the necessary resources to play a key role in all recovery policies and to demonstrate, again through data and evidence, that public transport is safe.
**From your perspective, how is the transport sector facing digital transformation?**
Digitalization is key in our sector, as it is in the economy as a whole. The crisis has served to accelerate it.
The key is to put digitalization at the service of the business, so it is essential for mobility experts to define the functional needs and not the other way around. In terms of maintenance, customer behavior, real-time management of operational scenarios, autonomous driving, etc., the possibilities are impressive.
We must invest in it, starting with people, equipping ourselves with the necessary profiles, and supporting our teams in the transition.
**Speaking of transitions, how do you think traffic restrictions in large cities will evolve to meet emission reduction targets?**
This crisis represents a vital opportunity for improvement, returning the city to the people. Not only for air quality and climate change issues, but because we want more urban space to enjoy the city. The decisions made in the coming months, including those related to European funds, will define how accessible, resilient, and livable our cities will be in the future. Without a doubt, now is the time to move in this direction, which, according to surveys worldwide, is supported by the vast majority of citizens.
The key is to do so by offering quality public transport alternatives, ensuring good accessibility, through integrated mobility management. It is time to explore urban toll systems whose revenue is used to continue improving public transport, as is successfully done in various parts of the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that urban public transport is essential and a common good that we must preserve. The sector is strongly interconnected with many other challenges, which cannot be addressed without giving clear priority to public transport as a fundamental pillar for economic, social, and environmental recovery, both in the short and long term.
**In short, public transport is essential to combat climate change…**
Undoubtedly, and therefore, governments must support it. According to the European Environment Agency, public transport is four times more efficient per passenger-kilometer than private vehicles. For every kilometer traveled by public transport, there are 95 grams of greenhouse gas emissions and 19 grams less NOx compared to using private motorized transport.
If we want to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C in accordance with the Paris Agreement, we must reduce global emissions by 7.6% each year over the next decade. As described in the UITP Declaration on Climate Leadership, achieving this requires more ambitious national commitments and stricter targets to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Non-governmental actors, such as the public transport sector, and Castrosua is an excellent example of this, have demonstrated great determination and commitment to achieving a low-emission future and seizing the opportunities it presents.
Undoubtedly, the fastest and most cost-effective way to decarbonize people’s daily mobility and reduce their travel footprint is to promote public transport and active mobility. This involves the use of more environmentally sustainable technologies, but first and foremost, it requires comprehensive planning of mobility and land use, and more priority measures for public transport (network expansion, capacity increase, more reserved platforms at city entrances, more bus lanes, etc.).
The role played by UITP in the proper management of urban and metropolitan mobility and in the development of sustainable policies is irreplaceable.
From Grupo Castrosua, we thank Dionisio González for his time. Also, of course, for the daily work carried out at UITP to design sustainable and efficient mobility alternatives with which to reconfigure life in cities; returning them, as González points out in this interview, to their inhabitants.
*Post images courtesy of UITP.
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