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Alain Flausch
Secretary General, UITP, will talk on "Public Transport in the changing urban mobility landscape" | Short Bio Alain Flausch has been selected Secretary General of UITP (International Association of Public Transport) in 2011. He has been the Association’s President from 2009 to 2011 and was President and member of different UITP Committees and Commission from 2004 to 2009. From 2000 to 2011, as CEO of the STIB, the Brussels public transport operator, Mr Flausch led the STIB through an in-depth cultural change. Before 2000, Mr Flausch was active as top manager in Television and the Chemical industry. He was a practicing attorney at the Brussels Bar during the 1970s. He is member of different international high level groups in the field of public transport, notably the UN High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport. He was recently awarded Professor Honoris causa of the National Research University in Moscow. Summary of presentation: Urban mobility is a dynamic market and innovations create room for new services, new players and new business models that may have (potential) benefits for urban mobility: better matching supply and demand for mobility; allowing a more efficient use of the stock of vehicles; helping reducing car ownership; providing a solution for the first and last mile and encouraging a more rational and combined use of the different modes. However, a key issue in cities remains space and more precisely the lack of space. For areas and corridors with high demand for mobility, high capacity public transport (such as provided by urban rail and high capacity bus services) is and will remain the only viable solution. A complementary mobility offer may help alleviate peak time excess demand but cannot replace the backbone public transport network. In light of these changes, old questions need to be revisited in this new context. Changes need to be taken into account in investment decisions (and related appraisal procedures). Investment and re-investment on high capacity / structuring public transport lines should be maintained and even prioritized. Policy measures should not be limited to the supply side. It is crucial to also focus on urban development policies. It is also crucial to act on the management of travel demand. The availability and circulation of data is crucial to the success of integrated mobility apps and on-demand services. The role of authorities is crucial in providing neutral platform and building trust. They should also encourage / facilitate exchange of data in both directions.
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