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Public transport

Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge a posted fee for each trip.[1][2] There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc."[3] Examples of public transport include city buses, trolleybuses, trams (or light rail) and passenger trains, rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries. Public transport between cities is dominated by airlines, coaches, and intercity rail. High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world.

This article is about nonexclusive shared passenger journeys for the public. For hired vehicles or hired rides, see Shared transport.

Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day). However, most public transport trips include other modes of travel, such as passengers walking or catching bus services to access train stations.[4] Share taxis offer on-demand services in many parts of the world, which may compete with fixed public transport lines, or complement them, by bringing passengers to interchanges. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low demand and for people who need a door-to-door service.[5]


Urban public transit differs distinctly among Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded mass transit and real estate conglomerates predominantly operate public transit systems.[6][7] In North America, municipal transit authorities most commonly run mass transit operations. In Europe, both state-owned and private companies predominantly operate mass transit systems.


For geographical, historical and economic reasons, differences exist internationally regarding the use and extent of public transport. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It has over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries from all over the globe.


In recent years, some high-wealth cities have seen a decline in public transport usage. A number of sources attribute this trend to the rise in popularity of remote work, ride-sharing services, and car loans being relatively cheap across many countries. Major cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago, and London have seen this decline and have attempted to intervene by cutting fares and encouraging new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes.[8] Because of the reduced emissions and other environmental impacts of using public transportation over private transportation, many experts have pointed to an increased investment in public transit as an important climate change mitigation tactic.[9]

Bloom, Nicholas Dagen, The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-centric Planning, and White Flight, University of Chicago Press, 2023  978-0-226-82440-6

ISBN

Hess, D. 2007. "What is a clean bus? Object conflicts in the greening of urban transit." Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy 3(1):45–58.

[1]

Needle, Jerome A.; Transportation Security Board & Cobb, Renée M. (1997). . Transportation Security Board. ISBN 978-0-309-06013-4.

Improving Transit Security

Newman, Peter; Jeffrey R. Kenworthy (1999). Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence. Island Press.  978-1-55963-660-5.

ISBN

(2007). Transit Maps of the World. London: Penguin. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-14-311265-5.

Ovenden, Mark

Valderrama, A.; Beltran, I. (2007). . Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy 3(1):59–67. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2017.

"Diesel versus compressed natural gas in Transmilenio-Bogotá: innovation, precaution, and distribution of risk"

(2021). Elevator Versus Bus. United States: Fool Church Media. ISBN 978-1945232-41-1.

Costales, Bryan

International Association of Public Transport

US High-Speed Rail Association