January 2010:
“We have just initiated Phase 2 of our Doubling Project. From now on we’ll concentrate on two major areas, one of which will continue to develop a new business model for Swedish public transport and the other will focus on developing knowledge levels among the leaders of society and the general public,” says Charlotte Wäreborn Schultz, Managing Director of the Swedish Public Transport Association and Chairman of the Doubling Project.
The Swedish Doubling Project, with its long-term goal of doubling the market share held by public transport and doubling the volume of travel by the year 2020, is continuing. Five trade associations have reached agreement on this goal, and a number of activities are progressing at the same time.
During the autumn, a cutting-edge training course was held for people with leading positions in the field of Swedish public transport. In September, a national Think Tank was organised for 300 key individuals within the sector with the aim of initiating a change movement all over the country.
“It was an exciting and much appreciated day on which many ideas were exchanged. Politicians, purchasers and operators of bus, taxi, rail and boat services were represented. We are in the process of planning similar activities with a regional focus in six different towns in Sweden,” says Charlotte Wäreborn Schultz.
Together with the work being conducted on a new business model, recommendations will soon be put forward for new forms of contract. Included in this work is a joint environmental programme for the public transport sector, which was developed during the course of the year.
A number of independent projects are in progress all over the country with the aim of increasing public transport.
One interesting project in which public transport is being used as a strategic tool for greater sustainability is the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration LFV’s efforts to increase the number of public transport passengers travelling to and from the country’s largest airport, Arlanda. The airport has been ordered by the government to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide. The proportion of public transport to and from the airport will be decisive for achieving success in this context. One of the problems today is that many passengers are given lifts to and from the airport by private car. During 2009, information on departure times for buses, trains and taxis has been significantly improved in order to encourage more passengers to choose public transport. Since the end of the year, LFV has also chosen to subsidise half the cost of public transport journeys made by their own personnel to and from work.
In Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg, extensive planning work is in progress to determine how public transport should be developed. One of the goals is that at least 40 per cent of all trips should be made on public transport before the year 2025, which means a doubling of travel on public transport. At the moment, work is under way to decide what type of incentives could be used to encourage more people to travel by public transport.
In Sundsvall, a city in central Sweden with some 95 000 inhabitants, a new form of contract is already being tested. Co-operation is under way between transport principals, operators and the local authority based on the concept of a net contract. Among other things, the operator has been given greater responsibility for marketing and traffic planning. As a result of rerouting and extended passenger information, an increase in travel of over five percent has already been noted.
In Karlstad, a city with approximately 80 000 inhabitants situated on the northern part of Lake Vänern, travel by public transport has increased by just over 20 per cent following a number of measures, including a restructuring of the trunk route network.
“We are trying very hard to gain an overall impression of how the next generation of public transport should be developed, with passenger requirements as the basic starting point,” says Charlotte Wäreborn Schultz.
Facts about the Doubling Project
The Swedish sector has started a form of partner co-operation – known as the Doubling Project – in order to double public transport. It is being conducted by the Swedish Public Transport Association, the Swedish Bus and Coach Federation (BR), the Swedish Taxi Association, the Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and the Swedish Transport Administration.
Interview published in UITP Direct, august 2009: