The provision of good public transport enables cities
to thrive and fulfi l their economic, environmental
and social aspirations. Good public transport is
vital to successful urban areas, enabling people to
access jobs and services, employers to access labour
markets and businesses to reach the customers for
their services. Good public transport is clean, fuel
and carbon effi cient and enhances the attractiveness
of city centres and the health of the citizens1 . The
aff ordable access provided by public transport to
opportunities is fundamental in the drive to creating
a more inclusive society2. No other modes can come
close to the ability of public transport to safely and
effi ciently provide urban mobility to large numbers
of people. Improving public transport systems,
therefore, is also the only way in which the future
challenges of urban growth and mobility, sustainable
economic development and climate change can be
successfully tackled.
Good public transport, therefore, underpins the quality
of life we enjoy today in all of our cities and towns.
Without continuing to invest in and improve public
transport, we have no hope of the transport sector
successfully tackling the challenges the world faces.
Yet transport planners have been particularly reticent
in claiming these benefi ts. Until now, the methodology
used to assess the benefi ts of public transport captures
only a portion of these benefi ts: public transport
off ers even better value for money than usually
stated.