Today, traffic congestion and pollution are significantly damaging the quality of life in modern cities. Combined with climate change, these factors dictate major improvements in public transportation. However, while buses, in particular, account for 80% of public transport journeys around the world, and 30 billion people use it every year to travel in cities throughout Europe, the bus was until recently still perceived as the least attractive means of public transportation.

The European Union (EU)-funded project EBSF was the largest European project to date focusing on urban bus networks. The project team has developed a new generation of urban bus systems adapted to the particularities of European cities. Moreover, it has increased the attractiveness of the bus system in urban and suburban areas, by developing new technologies for both vehicles and infrastructure.

The EBSF team has created an intelligent system, which makes efficient use of information and provides different bus system solutions adapted to the specific needs of all stakeholders. The researchers have also constructed innovative vehicles and infrastructure that offer improved and enhanced comfort to drivers and passengers, accessibility to all users and smart use of energy. In addition, this new generation of bus networks has been integrated into the European urban landscape by adapting to both modern and historical city contexts, considering future mobility trends, as well as offering new services for both passengers and operators.

In other words, the project’s outcomes have launched a bus renaissance, thus sharing the conviction that the bus is the most versatile solution in the urban environment as it meets the passenger’s real needs and helps cities become greener.

According to Umberto Guida, the EBSF project coordinator, “more and better public transport is key to European citizens. The results achieved by the EBSF team could significantly improve the quality of city living, increase the competitiveness of European bus manufacturers and generate green jobs. Buses, in particular, are the backbone of the public transport network in urban areas and are crucial to protecting the environment and creating liveable cities”.

Research and innovation in this field requires large investment, while the corresponding market is a niche market. The return on investment is always complex and it is becoming more difficult in the current financial situation. However, the impact of public transport innovation on the quality of life of citizens is very high on the agenda and the European support was instrumental in the EBSF project as “it was essential to share the financial risks linked to the innovations achieved by the research team,” concludes Guida.

Article on EBSF in Horizon Magazine - click here