Is Public Transport The Future Of Sustainable Transport?

Nudging Citizens To Choose Public Transport

It's worth noting that, according to the Smart Mobility Congress, a person who rides public transportation reduces their emissions by more than 4,800 lbs annually*, a figure that will increase as more low emission options are added to the smart mobility mix. 

On the 26th November 2019, the UN announced that the outlook for the environment was 'bleak' as the carbon emissions gap continues to grow. This means that to avoid global warming by more than 1.5C countries need to increase their carbon-cutting ambitions fivefold. But even if all current promises are met, warming will still more than double the 1.5C target by 2100. 

The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) concurrently published its report on how well countries are doing in cutting greenhouse pollutants. Its summary is that rather than decreasing, emissions have increased by 1.5% per year over the last decade. 

And we're mainly to blame. The G20 (the richest 20 countries in the world) are responsible for 78% of all emissions, but to date only the EU, the UK, Italy and France have committed to net-zero targets. 

Of course, achieving net-zero is not down to a single behaviour, market or vertical but requires full-blown societal change. However, using London as an example, more than 70% of air pollutants are generated from private cars.

The London Plan, 'Healthy Streets' and the expanding ULEZ strategy demonstrate a forceful commitment to improving air quality. Nudging the required behavioural changes for citizens, developers and businesses, to encourage greater use of public transport, walking and cycling. 

One of the challenges to successful behavioural change is increasing public awareness of local mobility options; real-time availability, delays and route changes alongside demonstrating to travellers the positive effect their actions are having on the environment. 

Smartphones may seem the obvious answer for real-time information, but according to Smart City Expo, only 18% of smartphone users** around the world have downloaded or access a transport planning app. Meaning a substantial awareness gap exists, particularly in several key demographic groups. 

Equally, in an increasingly connected society, the use of static, printed information, such as wayfinding totems, is no longer sufficient. People increasingly expect access to real-time information as they pass through the built environment. Indeed, internal research undertaken by TfL has shown that when real-time signage is added to a mobility stop that it increases demand by circa 50%.

If you consider travellers and their relationship with public transport within the context of a sales funnel, then people visiting a transport stop or hub may be considered to already be in the funnel, awaiting conversion. The challenge for operators is increasing awareness beyond traditional locations, to encourage more people into the funnel. 

PassageWay offers a low-cost, low-footprint solution to this conundrum by connecting places, people and communities to their local multi-modal transport options. Transforming any connected screen, DOOH totem or kiosk (running Chrome) into real-time mobility and digital wayfinding signs, PassageWay removes the need for purchasing and installing new hardware. Displaying real-time local public transport options (i.e. bus, bike, tube, boat, tram, rail) with updates on availability and delays PassageWay signs provide contextual, visual prompts for travellers, raising awareness and driving demand for the mobility options in their vicinity. 

Of course, PassageWay can only be part of a wider set of tactics to prompt behavioural change. It would be great to see Transport Authorities provide real-time notifications on how people are supporting the drive to net-zero by taking public transport, and by combining this with other micro-data from buildings and services to demonstrate at a community level, how well we, as citizens are helping to solve the climate crisis. 

Notes 

*The news item does not identify the usage levels required that this figure equates to**This is global penetration, individual cities will obviously vary