Introduction

to urban transport

Hello,

In this introduction video on urban transport I will explain how I define the transport system,
and why this system is important, and I will make clear what the key parts of the transport
system are.

I define transport as: everything involved in moving people and freight.

The sector is not at all one homogeneous sector.

It includes both people travelling and freight.

And it covers private transport such as the car or bike, and public transport.

And it includes many transport modes and types of infrastructure, as I will explain later.

Why is transport so important?

It is the key to ensuring people can do activities at different places, examples being working,
shopping, or visiting family or friends, or a doctor.

And it ensures the supply of goods and services (such as waste collection) to the city.

One could argue it keeps the city alive.

Coming back to people: it facilitates (physical) interaction between people.

Modern telecommunication does substitute some interaction, as in case of e-learning or

skyping, but these technologies do not replace many other forms of interaction we often
want to see people in person.

It is a key advantage of cities that they provide attractive places for people and businesses to
meet.

Therefore, a good transport systems is absolutely vital for cities.

As shown on this graph the transport system includes different modes of transport,
infrastructure (such as roads, rails, and airports) services (such as public transport or airline
services), costs of travel, and regulations (such as speeds on roads, and safety standards for
vehicles).

I will now briefly introduce these parts of the transport system.

So, lets first explain modes.

A mode of transport is the way in which people and freight are transported, such as the
train, the car (as a driver or a passengers) or the bike.

Or in case of goods transport, for example, the lorry or a ship.

Transport also requires infrastructure, the hardware allowing vehicles and people to move,
such as roads as you can see on this picture.

or rail and airports.

A next part of the transport system is the so called services that companies offer to
potential clients.

Services are, for example, the options offered to travel by public transport, including train,
tram, metro and bus, often expressed in the form of time tables.

Or those offered by airline companies.

Or taxi services, either conventional or modern types like Uber.

Or services to deliver goods.

Another part of the transport system includes the costs to make use of that system.

Costs firstly relate to the monetary costs one has to pay, for for example a bike, a car,
fuel, parking, or for travelling by public transport.

Costs also include the time needed to travel and the effort it takes.

Effort is a broad term covering anything but time and monetary costs, such as energy in case
of walking and cycling, mental effort in case of driving, and the discomfort of travelling, such
as in case of heavily crowded trains or when it rains and one walks or cycles.

Or the risks one runs not any mode is 100% safe.

Regulations are the legal rules, such as maximum speeds on different types of roads, and
emission or safety standards for vehicles.

To wrap up: Transport is a very complex and heterogeneous sector and cities cannot
function without transport.

But, it also causes problems, because urban transport can make cities unattractive, and
emits much CO2.

A huge challenge for cities therefore is how to provide enough options to travel for people,
and to transport goods, without too much negative impact on the environment.