Public Transport: Why the Obsession with Extremes?

The clamour to ‘revolutionize’ public transport is growing louder: open-loop systems, ABT, MaaS and shutting down ticket sales offices, and the list goes on.

But why is the shift towards extreme change so desirable? Shouldn’t our focus be on evolving public transport, rather than revolutionizing it? Where is the evidence that EVERYONE will use only bank cards in-vehicle? Or that people will entirely stop using ticket offices?

Such assumptions, I believe, reveal an underestimation and a lack of understanding of how public transport truly works.

Public transport isn’t homogeneous. There will never be a ‘magic pill’ to cure all its challenges. We understand this when talking about human health - acknowledging that each person is unique, with individual health needs. So why do we forget this when discussing the health of our public transport systems?

In my view, only a methodical, solid, and reasonable approach can lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements in public transport.

Let’s focus on evolution, not revolution.