A Ukrainian delegation and the Barcelona Declaration - Day 3 at the Summit

Whether it’s the metro on display as you enter the venue, more than a dozen busses (new and old) on your way through the exhibition, the local Catalan products behind the Start Up Zone, or the high level meetings happening in rooms and corridors; the third day of the UITP Summit 2023 literally has something for everyone.

We had not one but three of our latest publications exclusively presented to attendees of the Summit.

The first one was our Global Light Rail Transit (LRT) Statistics 2019-21, which provides comprehensive data for a list of indicators covering operational and infrastructural aspects of LRT, collected at city level and shown per region. The Brief shows how LRT has changed over the last three years and, in particular, how COVID-19 had impacted this mode of public transport.

Second up, we had the newest annexe addition the to ever-evolving Bus Tender Structure Report. A pioneering Report, serving as a decision support tool for the entire bus sector on the tendering of electric buses, the new Sustainability and Circularity for Vehicles annexe expands  beyond environmental concerns, encompassing various dimensions such as materials, natural resources, working conditions, human rights, energy, climate, and the circularity of bus production.

And last but certainly not least was the new normal Knowledge Brief, following a hugely successful planary session on the very topic! Changing ridership levels and expected services are leading networks and cities to see mobility in a completely different perspective. Changes to people’s lifestyles also have serious consequences on the demand for mobility. The Summit session and publication consider new trends and their impacts and assess how current uncertainties have been managed so far.

CEOs from the public transport industry worldwide joined forces at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to public transport.

During the Executive Forum, an exclusive gathering reserved for the leaders of UITP Premium members, these influential figures engaged in high-level discussions on the sector’s key challenges. In a powerful show of solidarity, they unanimously endorsed the UITP Barcelona Declaration, underscoring their belief in the crucial role of public transport in society.

The Declaration serves as a testament to the undeniable and indispensable role of public transport in our daily lives, benefiting everyone, everywhere. It plays an intrinsic role in facilitating movement, fostering employment, supporting cities and economies, preserving the environment, promoting good health, and much more.

The Barcelona Declaration was developed by the UITP Executive Forum, where the global leaders of the public transport sector discussed the most pressing sector. Most important one among them: the labour shortage.

UITP President Khalid ALHOGAIL: “We can buy busses, we can buy trains, we can’t buy employees. Before the pandemic, we talked about automation and replacing workers. We scared off workers to more secure jobs. We have to be more attractive.”

From attracting staff, the discussion goes into attracting riders, and crucially: how do we attract drivers to leave their car behind?

Solutions range from personalisation to informing passengers. “We tell the user that the escalator they use daily is broken, and propose a different route.” One CEO remarks: “The difference between the train and the car is that on a train you can use your hands. But if you need to stand, that’s not true anymore.”

Discover the Barcelona Declaration

“Especially now, as our dams are bombed, we have to think of our future. Right now, we ask for help. But the time will come when we can give back.”

The Ukrainian delegation joined the UITP Summit today. Mohamed Mezghani welcomed them to the Summit personally: “I am so grateful for your presence. I want to know what we can do for you!”

“Our members want to help. They want to send vehicles, spare parts, and expertise. We are a platform for public transport. And our platform will be unconditionally and fully open to you.”

Finally, Tuesday saw the Final Event of IP4MaaS, the Europe’s Rail project which launched in 2020 to advance the uptake of MaaS schemes across Europe.

Held together with sister projects CONNECTIVE and ExtenSive, IP4MaaS showcased how the project tested and analysed available MaaS technologies developed under the Innovation Programme 4 (IP4) of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking.

Soon a Project Brief with all project results will be published, stay tuned!