Critical for COVID-19 recovery: CEOs and city representatives call for public transport to be key sector in European plan

This important connection has never been more vital as the public transport sector faces current and future challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

Considering the impacts of the pandemic on the sector, UITP has engaged with the leadership of the European institutions on several occasions in the recent weeks and months.

UITP first joined forces with the IRU, Polis, EuroCities and CER to issue an Open Letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel and David Maria Sassoli, President of the European Parliament calling for their ongoing support now, and in the times that lie ahead.

We then took the opportunity to address the European institutions on the progressive resumption of services and the survival of urban public transport and local mobility services, in an Open Letter sent in the lead-up to the latest EU Council meeting, as the next steps were being considered for the sector.

Now, as certain cities and countries consider what is next for their lockdown strategies, UITP is continuing our European engagement with two key releases.

As we continue to address the next steps, UITP is also reaching out to the EU institutions by bringing together more than 80 CEOs and city representatives from almost 20 countries.

By gathering the signatures of these industry leaders, we’re asking that as the European Union is preparing its recovery strategy, the importance of the local (urban, sub-urban and regional) public transport sector for the European economy is vital – it plays a key role in fulfilling many of the EU’s policy objectives and Sustainable Development Goals.

The first available data from various European Member States show that the passenger transport sector’s ecosystem will continue to be heavily affected by the pandemic: across Europe, the sector expects €40 billion in farebox revenue losses by the end of 2020.

Public transport is a key accelerator of the economy, job creation, social inclusion, health and sustainability – and by signing our Open Letter, these CEOs and city representatives recognise its important role.

We’re proud to bring together many leading industry names and members – including STIB, Wiener Linien, RATP, GVB, Volvo, Keolis, Transdev, FGC, Metro Madrid, Irish Rail, SNCF, Alstom, Metro Lisboa, TMB, Hamburger Hochbahn and Warsaw Metro.

Discover our last open letter