Overview
UITP (the International Association of Public Transport) is organizing the 1st International Assembly for Public Transport Authorities (PTAs) on the 28th/29th May 2018 in Gothenburg - Sweden.
Each year 3 million people die prematurely due to air pollution, which is particularly affecting large cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes one in three deaths from chronic respiratory diseases and different types of lung cancer, as well as one in four deaths from heart attack. In addition to air pollution, other important health risks may be linked to the car-based habits of urban dwellers, such as obesity, cardio-vascular diseases and other chronic diseases.
Beside individual behaviors and lifestyle, this is the result of years of ill-decision making that systematically favored road infrastructures and cars regardless of the impacts. It is time to acknowledge that current urban mobility systems are dysfunctional, calling for radical change in the way we conceive them. This is all the more pressing that the mobility landscape is changing. It is now popular to share cars, bikes or even ride on an on-demand basis. A trend that could accelerate with the progress of autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence, reducing the perceived need to own a car. While technology constitutes an opportunity to lead urban mobility systems to a path that better serves societal and political goals, it is not self evident, it requires Governance and Leadership from Public Transport Authorities (PTAs).
As PTAs are at the heart of UITP multi-stakeholders community, representing a global network of 200+ members, this is an opportinity for them to meet and share practices. The emphasis is on diversity because context matters. There is no single one-fit all solution. Prescriptions are excluded, hence the need to learn from each other how to address the current challenges. This is the purpose of this 1st International Assembly.