My key takeaways from the 2019 ITF Summit

The 2019 edition of the International Transport Forum Summit (ITF) was very rich and very instructive. It gathered Transport Ministries, international governmental organisations, multilateral and bilateral financing institutions, business community, NGOs and researchers in the transport sector. I had the opportunity to take part in sessions, parallel meetings, networking activities and held a number of one-to-one meetings with ministers and other stakeholders. These are my key takeaways:

• The central theme of the Summit was 'Transport Connectivity for Regional Integration'. Improving cross-border transport and the city to city connectivity is indeed needed but the full impact of this improvement will not be achieved without acting on the urban system to make city mobility efficient and sustainable.
• Many discussions were around the impact of new mobility services and the growth of ride-hailing and shared modes. The agility and audacity of new mobility players are forcing governments to think out-of-the-box and shorten decision making processes. New governance models are needed.
• Partnerships between the different stakeholders, but first, between governmental departments, should be a priority in this new governance model. The Spanish Minister of Transport insisted on this aspect: 'Our citizens will not understand why we work in silos' she said, 'We have to collaborate for them'. Moreover, I realise more and more the multiplication of initiatives from governments, civil society, NGOs, associations, financing institutions, bilateral organisations, etc... We should find the way to avoid duplicating activities and find synergies to better use each one's resources.
• Though urban transport is a local issue, the role of national governments is key as they provide the framework and the (financial) incentives. The Colombian Minister of Transport insisted on the decisive role of her Ministry in supporting transport in cities. But political interests (Ex: different political parties ruling at state and city levels) may prevent collaboration. Having said that, the Transport Ministry is not necessarily the right counterpart at national level when discussing urban transport: it's the Ministry of Environment in Portugal, the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Morocco.
• Women's involvement as employees and decision-makers in the transport sector was highlighted in different opportunities, including in a session co-organised by UITP. For the Canadian Minister of Transport, 'The transport sector needs more people at all levels; it's an opportunity to employ more women'.

And I'd end by quoting the Chilean Minister of Transport and Telecommunications: 'It's not just about transport, it's about wellbeing and happiness'.