Local Public Transport

Urban Mobility and Local Public Transport

London understood this as early as the 19th century: local public transport plays an important role in urban mobility in alleviating road congestion. By now, however, the subways and buses are reaching their limits in the world’s metropolises. That’s why a classic of urban mobility is experiencing an unexpected renaissance: the bicycle. Bike sharing is conquering the streets of all the big cities and allows you to move quickly, taking up little space. The same may also apply in the future to e-scooters, another vehicle that offers simplified mobility in an urban environment ( Electric scooter and micro-mobility ). And how could local public transport be better structured in the future if not in this way?

Autonomous Electric Shuttle Buses

In addition to the trend towards sharing, the concepts of electro-mobility and autonomous driving are naturally also integrated into local transport solutions. In Europe, there are already 10 public test tracks for autonomous electric shuttle buses. A shuttle of this kind circulates for example at the Charité Campus in Berlin, where however there is still a driver sitting on the bus who bypasses the obstacles and sets off to resume the race after a stop. However, systems are to be expected to become smarter and safer, and therefore also more independent. Currently, the routes are still relatively short and present no major obstacles. Yet these are the pilot projects that indicate where we are headed.

Drone Taxis Conquer Public Transport

The future of urban mobility is in the air: a bold thesis or a realistic vision of the future? Given the congestion of urban centers, the conquest of airspace would seem a logical consequence. Drone taxis in Dubai, Los Angeles, Dallas and Singapore started their first test operations as early as 2020. Commercial use is planned for 2023. At first, there will still be pilots responsible for onboard controls, but the race for the city that in the future will be considered the first to have had autonomous flying taxi drone coverage has now begun.

New Concepts for Better Urban Mobility

London proved this in the 19th century, and current developments and forecasts clearly point it out: cities will continue to grow. It is therefore necessary to design more effectively the living space of each individual and the opportunities for mobility in the urban environment. This paves the way for global concepts relating to alternative propulsion vehicles, autonomous driving and car sharing.