Date & Time: 11th November 2021, 2 – 3 pm IST | 9:30 – 10:30 am CET | 7:30 – 8:30 pm AEDT
Location: Zoom Webinar
The first event of the regular series on ‘Post COVID-19 and Inclusive Recovery’ focused on mobility with an objective to address the question “How to reinstate public systems and non-motorised means as better ways of city transport in the post COVID world?”
The event, a joint initiative of the IURC Asia & Australasia programme and the Urban Works Institute, India, brought together 3 experts in the field of mobility from India, Australia and Germany to discuss problems regarding post-COVID-19 mobility, identify their causes and propose solutions in the context of their city and larger region.
All experts began by sharing a similar story where, owing to COVID-19, public transport ridership took a free fall while private vehicles grew unabated. However, the accessibility to public transport was seen to be different across different regions. In India, per capita availability of public transport is less negatively impacting women and the lower income communities. In Stuttgart, investment has been made to maintain a high frequency of public transport with quality and seamless service. In Melbourne, there has been a shift towards sustainable local travel through cycling and walking.
The experts agreed that in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to focus investment towards active transport and increased capacity in public transport (buses and rail) that is interconnected, reliable, safe and clean despite the current reduced ridership. Finally, as concluding statements regarding what cities should do next to bring back better city transport, the speakers mentioned the following:
Ms Shreya Gadepalli – “Better Streets, Better Buses, Better Lives.”
Mr Thomas Kiwitt – “Focus on providing public transport accessibility to the hinterland since that is what makes the city run.”
Prof Jago Dodson – “Capitalise on the opportunities that Covid has provided us and thereby enable local travel and living while also investing in major public transport infrastructure.”
Video Link: https://zoom.us/rec/share/KKVQpF3kehQ4Gge-JSX9V54C-BynCLDxXVOpIJQ24FwcMucQU4eDdKQNQgu-wMdD.iyh5X5IVn9darQv_ Passcode: 090!u+4L
