Newsletter November 2016

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#48 - November 2016

The focus of this November issue is the recent launch of a new Smart Move high level group in the East African Community. Jointly initiated by UN-Habitat and IRU, the group will work towards implementing the Smart Move objective of substantially increasing bus and coach passenger numbers in the region. In this edition of the newsletter you will also discover the benefits that travelling by bus instead of by car would bring to Americans and Philippines’ plans for building a BRT system in Manila. An informative policy note on alternative fuel buses and other interesting developments in some European countries are also highlighted. Enjoy your read.

- The Smart Move team

IN FOCUS

New vision for collective passenger transport in East Africa with launch of regional high level group

Jointly initiated by UN-Habitat and IRU, the East African Community (EAC) Smart Move high level group will work for a period of one year to devise a roadmap for boosting collective passenger transport in EAC’s cities and on EAC’s roads by 2030. Benefits include better transport services, reduced carbon emissions, more jobs, fewer road deaths and reduced road congestion by up to fifteen percent.

NEWS

		Alternative fuel buses – an important read for policy and business decision makers The recently published CIVITAS Policy note ‘Smart choices for cities. Alternative fuel buses’ provides useful information to help policy makers, public transport authorities and local decision makers choose clean public bus transport. The policy note could also serve as a guide for bus fleet operators that are considering renewing their urban transport fleets. Read more

		Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit project approved Showcasing relevant initiatives such as IRU's Smart Move campaign, which champions the use of buses and coaches as a clean, safe and sustainable way to travel, the event covered “coach and tourism”, “bus and city” and “bus and financing”. Participants included policy makers, business leaders and professional experts. Read more

		WEpods autonomous buses operate on the campus of a Dutch university WURby and Welly, the two self-driving WEpods, are currently operating as a weekly bus service as part of a trial on the campus of Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. The test phase has started at the beginning of November and will last until the end of the year. Read more

		German bus industry calls for fair competition between municipal and private companies During its Experts’ Forum in Public Transport, held last week in Berlin, the Federal Association of German Bus and Coach Operators made it clear that it opposes changes of the German Passenger Transport Act. The discussions revolved around the fact that the application of the law is currently producing tensions between municipal and private companies, with the European Commission being also skeptical regarding its implementation by municipalities. Read more

		10% cut in price of hybrid buses for London London has been able to secure a 10% cut in the price of hybrid buses in 2016 as a result of demonstrating the global demand for clean buses through the C40 Clean Bus Declaration. The plan is that all new buses in the British capital will be hybrid, electric or hydrogen by 2018. Read more