3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
The electrification of public transport must accompany the increase in supply of vehicles and
routes in order to manage the increased demand. If public transport is totally electrified, and
electric energy comes from renewable sources, the results can be striking. Under the same
assumptions made above, compared to fossil fuel cars, buses will result in:
- A reduction of 80-90% of energy consumption;
- A reduction of 100% of GHG emissions;
- A reduction of 80-90% of urban space occupation.
Such values cannot be approached by a policy based solely on a shift to electric cars. Since the
electrification of public transport will require significant investment and a long implementation
time, hybrid vehicles offer an interim solution. The technology is available and very little
infrastructural changes are needed. The RGTR already has a bus fleet of 21 hybrid buses and 12
plug-in hybrid buses will soon be added. The City of Luxembourg recently announced its plans
to use plug-in hybrid busses and the City of Differdange plans to use four electric buses. Such
efforts should continue to be pursued, as plug-in hybrid and full electric buses can significantly
reduce both energy consumption and GHG emissions compared with diesel buses. Moreover,
most models of these buses can travel for short distances in full-electric mode, eliminating
pollution and reducing noise.
2.2.2 Pull Measures
Among the “pull” measures, special importance should be given to the promotion of public
transport and active modes:
- Promote the image of public transport, treating the transport system as if it were a
commercial product that needs to be sold. Marketing and promotion is highly valued for
commercial products, but it is often undervalued when it comes to promoting “social”
innovations. The public transport system should convey a sense of belonging, not only for
those who use it, but also, and most of all, for those who don’t use it. It should be felt as
part of being citizens of a city (in this case, a country); Public transport should project a
precise and recognizable image of itself.
- Make public transport simple to use, recognizable and fully interconnected. Quality must
be high and consistent throughout the services offered. Interchange between modes
must be easy and convenient and walking to and from public transport must be planned
as a part of the service, applying to it the same levels of quality, accessibility and ease of
wayfinding that characterize the rest of the service. The nationwide introduction of real
time departure data for all of the different public transport means by the end of 2017
(“mLive”) marks a further step towards seamless intermodal mobility.
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