Features

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

• Bus Transport in Brazil: Federal- and city- level initiatives to promote electric fleet

  December 1, 2020
  Around 1,800 bus companies provide public bus services in Brazil but they operate highly polluting diesel buses. Brazilian transport authorities, increasingly aware of the drawbacks of diesel buses, are now exploring electric buses as an alternative to achieve sustainable mobility. With twice the service life, lower maintenance costs, and favourable total cost of ownership (TCO) in comparison to diesel buses, electric buses offer a viable option.

• Big Plans: Israel to build new LRT and metrorail systems [free access]

  December 1, 2020
  In Israel, expanding rail projects are attracting increasing investment, a development that is driven by two main factors—a rise in population and the government’s focus on achieving a world-class transportation system that contributes to overall economic growth and enhances the social well-being of citizens.

• Urban Rail Projects in Egypt: Plans to develop nearly 520 km of network [free access]

  November 1, 2020
  Egypt’s large and growing population, combined with its rapid economic growth, has brought the need for a robust and extensive railway network into sharper focus.

• Mobile Ticketing in the US: Increased uptake in 2020

  November 1, 2020
  The deployment of integrated ticketing solutions and the penetration of the mobility as a service (MaaS) platform have progressed at a faster pace in European countries than in North American countries.

• Public Transport in Bogota: Expansion plans and new procurements

  November 1, 2020
  Public transport in Bogota is set to be transformed in the 2020s.

• MaaS in Japan: Fifty-two projects under Smart Mobility Challenge FY2020 [free access]

  October 1, 2020
  Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), is leading a highly ambitious and promising project for the deployment of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) across the nation. In 2019, with support from the ministries, several businesses in Japan conducted 19 MaaS pilots of Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 integration.

• Next-gen Ticketing: New technologies for a contactless future

  October 1, 2020
  The future of transport ticketing is rooted in the concept of convenience. To access seamless, multi-modal services that include more flexible schemes like car-sharing and bike rentals, travellers are increasingly looking to use one single form factor—either through a ticket, or, reflecting the growing Bring Your Own Ticket (BYOT) trend, with their own devices like cellphones, bank cards, smart wearables, or some sort of biometrics.

• Rail Projects in Mexico: New systems, extensions and investments

  October 1, 2020
  Mexico’s existing railway network extends over 20,825 km and the country has initiated measures to expand its extensive transit network.

• AFC in Russia: Emphasis on deployment of contactless payments

  September 1, 2020
  Automated fare collection (AFC) systems have been deployed or are currently being deployed across more than 100 cities in Russia.

• Urban Rail Projects in Ontario: Focus on subway development

  September 1, 2020
  Ontario is served by an integrated multi-modal public transit system. Metrolinx, the regional transport agency, operates the transportation system which integrates buses, light rail, heavy rail, and subways.

• MaaS in Japan: Ambitious and promising plans [free access]

  September 1, 2020
  Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, is leading the deployment of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) across the nation.

• Rebuilding BART: Towards improved transit

  August 1, 2020
  Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has undertaken a long-term programme to rebuild the aging BART system.

• Autonomous Shuttles in Australia: Pilots and trials

  August 1, 2020
  Autonomous shuttle trials have been taking place in Australia since 2018. The trials have taken place in Perth, Adelaide, Busselton, Coffs Harbour, Victoria, Sydney, Queensland, Armidale, and Newcastle.

• LRT in Basque Country, Spain: Current operations and future expansion plans [free access]

  August 1, 2020
  The light rail system (LRT) in Basque Country is an extensive network that comprises two lines, which span 14 km (combined length) and cover a total of 34 stations.

• 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.