Features

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

• 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.

• Demand Responsive Transit: Key deployments, players and developments

  January 1, 2020
  Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) is a user-oriented and demand-driven form of transport. A DRT caters to limitations of a formal transport system as it is characterised by flexible routes and smaller vehicles operating in shared-ride mode between pick-up and drop-off locations according to passengers’ needs.

• Public Transport in Bahrain: Current operations and future expansion

  December 1, 2019
  Public transport in Bahrain currently comprises a bus system. With a view to linking Bahrain to the world economy, the Kingdom of Bahrain is aiming to establish a well-developed public transport network and related infrastructure by 2030.

• Autonomous Vehicles in Europe: Focus on transit agency-led projects and initiatives [free access]

  December 1, 2019
  In Europe’s autonomous vehicle (AV) landscape, in addition to private companies, several transit agencies have also developed projects to test and deploy driverless vehicles.

• Blockchain in Transit: A building block for seamless mobility

  December 1, 2019
  The key challenge faced by cities seeking to implement integrated mobility services is convincing service providers, particularly private providers, to integrate these services on a single third-party platform.

• Rail projects in Panama: Foreign investment boosts network expansion

  November 1, 2019
  Rail transport in Panama has begun developing only recently, with the first metrorail system commencing operations in 2014 in Panama City.

• HART’s recovery plan approved: Finish line in sight?

  November 1, 2019
  In September 2019, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the Honolulu Area Rapid Transit (HART) Authority’s plan to complete the 32.25-km (20.1-mile) long passenger rail project.

• Public Transport in Abu Dhabi: DoT steps up its game [free access]

  November 1, 2019
  The Abu Dhabi Department of Transportation (DoT) has made rapid strides in launching key public transport policies and projects in the last two years.