Features

Analytical, insightful and topical write-ups on major trends and developments

• Moving Ahead: Contracts awarded and plans announced for buses

  July 1, 2020
  Between January 2020 and June 2020, several significant developments took place with regard to public buses. Contracts were awarded for the supply of more than 2,600 buses, plans were announced for the deployment of over 6,600 buses, and nearly USD800 million was allocated for the deployment of buses.

• Shared Mobility in the Netherlands: A smart alternative to public transport?

  July 1, 2020
  As a part of the ‘Public Transport in 2040’ plan, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) in the Netherlands plans to develop demand-driven services and popularise concepts such as carsharing, bicyclesharing, and taxisharing, and lead a shift from public and private transport to shared transport.

• Contactless Fare Payments and MaaS in APAC: Key takeaways from GMT’s virtual event [free access]

  July 1, 2020
  Global Mass Transit Research organised a half-day virtual event on ‘Contactless Fare Payments and MaaS in APAC’ on June 17, 2020.

• Impact of COVID-19 on Autonomous Shuttles: Entering the delivery space

  June 1, 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a fundamental shift in strategy for most autonomous vehicle (AV) companies, from developing and commercialising Level 5 AVs, which can operate in all conditions without human support, to Level 4 AVs, which can operate without the need for human presence in small geographical areas.

• Plans Continued or Delayed?: Future of tram projects in Italy following COVID-19 [free access]

  June 1, 2020
  Italy is one of the worst affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, the European Commission forecasted that Italy’s public debt would hit almost 158.9 per cent of GDP by the end of this year and that its economy would shrink by almost a tenth.

• Transit Payments in Africa: Emphasis on contactless smartcards

  June 1, 2020
  Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on the deployment of automated fare collection (AFC) systems in Africa.

• Brazil’s Response to COVID-19: Cities continue to advance mass transit projects

  May 1, 2020
  Brazil’s first positive COVID-19 case was reported in late February 2020 in the city of São Paulo. However, the Government of Brazil had already declared the impending novel coronavirus outbreak a national health emergency a few weeks before the country reported its first case.

• Back in Business: China resumes expansion of rail network [free access]

  May 1, 2020
  The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decline in public transport ridership in China. The majority of public transport users have shifted to private cars, taxis, and ride-hailing, or have taken to cycling and walking.

• California 2020 Transit Infrastructure Capital Grants: Funds allocated for new projects and procurements

  May 1, 2020
  In April 2020, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced USD500 million in transit infrastructure capital grants for 17 rail and public transportation projects as a part of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).

• New Strategies: China's CRRC plans to counter COVID-19

  April 1, 2020
  The COVID-19 outbreak has forced many companies to take stock of their current strategies and to chart new courses of action in order to maintain profitability. CRRC Corporation Limited (China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation), like many other private companies operating in the mass transit space, has been compelled to alter its strategy and adapt to a new world in order to maintain its market position.

• Project Delays: China-funded rail systems in Africa likely to witness setbacks

  April 1, 2020
  China has made huge investments in rail infrastructure projects in African countries for over two decades now.

• Ridership Plunge: Limited services, declining patronage due to COVID-19 [free access]

  April 1, 2020
  Cities across Europe and the US have recorded substantial declines in public transit ridership since January 2020.

• Public Transport in Amsterdam: Current operations and future plans

  March 1, 2020
  Public transport within Amsterdam is run by city transport company Gemeente Vervoerbedrijf Amsterdam (GVB).

• Electric buses in the US: A rapidly growing industry

  March 1, 2020
  Several transit agencies in the United States have made significant efforts to incorporate clean buses, and in particular electric buses, into their fleets. While nearly 99 per cent of all the world’s operational electric buses are in China, the electric bus market in the US has also seen steady growth in recent years.

• On-demand mobility in Singapore: Key players in the market [free access]

  March 1, 2020
  On-demand mobility utilises technology to provide public transportation solutions, shared mobility services, and delivery services via a connected and integrated multi-modal network.

• Public Transport Investment in Paraguay: Significant opportunities for foreign players

  February 1, 2020
  The public transport system in Paraguay is disorganised and disintegrated.

• Mobile Apps for Public Transit in the US: Focus on MaaS initiatives

  February 1, 2020
  Public transit-focused mobile apps are commonly used by both small and large transit agencies across the United States. Typically agencies use their own branded apps to provide real-time travel information for passengers along with certain trip-planning capabilities.

• Greater Beirut Public Transport Project: To be funded by the World Bank and the private sector [free access]

  February 1, 2020
  The present public transport network in Beirut comprises buses operated by the Lebanese Commuting Company (LCC).

• Reviving Public Transport in Kyiv: City’s plan to address long standing issues

  January 1, 2020
  Kyiv’s current public transport comprises bus, trolleybus, tram, metro and electric train, which together covers around 2,350 km. The existing public transport network is unable to cater to the current needs of commuters, which has resulted in an increasing share of private vehicles in the city’s transport mix.

• Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection in MENA: Insights from Dubai conference in December 2019 [free access]

  January 1, 2020
  Global Mass Transit Research organised its first annual conference on ‘Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection in MENA 2019’ on December 11–12, 2019, in Dubai.