NEWS THIS WEEK: National Express orders new electric buses, WMATA to improve transit equity & RNIB calls for improved accessibility on public transit

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES

National Express West Midlands orders 170 electric buses

National Express West Midlands has announced that a fleet of 170 electric double decker buses will join its growing number of zero-emission buses – in its biggest electric bus order to date. Read more.

WMATA’s $4.8 billion budget focuses on improving customer experience and equity

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA/ Metro) has announced that its Board of Directors has approved the $4.8 billion capital and operating budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 which supports increased bus and rail services, simplifies fares for customers, creates a new low-income fare programme, caps MetroAccess fares at $4, furthers the Better Bus Initiative and enhances safety measures. Read more.

RNIB report calls for improved accessibility on public transport for people with sight loss

A new report from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) highlights the daunting experience that blind and partially sighted people face when using public transport due to a wide breadth of accessibility issues which reduce their ability to travel independently. Read more.

BC Transit launches Blink RapidBus line between Westshore and downtown Victoria, Canada

BC Transit has announced that it has launched its flagship Blink RapidBus line between the West Shore and downtown Victoria. While the new Route 95 West Shore-Downtown line has been added, the Route 50 Langford/Downtown has now been discontinued. Read more.

Lime launches rental e-bike scheme in Nottingham, UK

Lime has announced that it has launched a fleet of rental e-bikes in Nottingham, as it looks to provide more UK residents with sustainable and affordable transport options. Read more.

EDITOR'S PICKS

MaaS and its endless possibilities for the transport industry

James Bullen, MaaS Project Lead at Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), discusses the intricacies of developing Mobility-as-a-Service systems that works seamlessly across all transport modes with Intelligent Transport’s Leah Hockley, and explains why it is reaching such an exciting point for the industry. Read more.

Do shared scooters have a place in future cities?

Dmitri Pivovarov, Vice President for Rentals at Bolt, considers how the April 2023 Paris referendum, in which citizens voted against the continued presence of shared scooters in the city, highlights the limitations of competitive tenders within the micro-mobility industry and shares his thoughts on the benefits of a free market scenario, which encourages healthy competition amongst operators. Read more.

ISSUE 1

Intelligent Transport Issue 1 2023

In the first 2023 issue of Intelligent Transport, we feature exclusive content from leading industry experts and thought leaders discussing: building transit systems around people; returning cities to their rightful owners; connecting people through accessible, equitable and inclusive mobility; and plenty more.

In-Depth Focus: Passenger Experience

Intelligent Transport Issue 1 2023’s Passenger Experience In-Depth Focus features articles from Sound Transit and Metro Istanbul discussing why public transportation systems must prioritise the passenger and fully take their feedback into consideration in order to deliver the best possible travel experience, as well as the challenge of ensuring a positive experience in a post-pandemic world. Read more.

• In-Depth Focus: Ticketing & Payments
• In-Depth Focus: Workforce Diversity & Inclusivity