Proceedings - Istituto di Analisi dei Sistemi ed Informatica - Cnr

Well-developed and efficient public transport systems can therefore play an important
role in reducing the time spent on travel, thereby freeing up more time for citizens to devote
to professional or leisure activities. However there still are a lot of improvements to be
made, especially in the light of the fact that time spent on public transport is still perceived
by passengers as lost, particularly during waiting times and at interchanges.
Finally, by considering the satisfaction degree of transport users, it emerges that nations
where there is a strong public support also supply a worse qualitative service. Then we can
conclude that countries characterised by a mature liberalisation process have the best
performance both in economic and in qualitative (satisfaction) terms. We believe that in
certain situations radical measures might be needed – although these require courage and
ambition – to push a quick reform process of public transport. This brings to a general
improvement of the service and better economic results for operators.
1.2. Tools of sustainable mobility
Demand management can make economies more effective, reducing environmental
transport negative impacts, and improving quality of life. This implies the use of pricing,
planning, market and political levers. So policy makers could put into force sustainable
mobility policies. They could favour private collective transport, the increase of the
occupancy rate of cars, the implementation of the shared property of cars, and so on.
At this point we can wonder if new alternatives to public transport can be implemented.
We think that there is a sensitivity to sustainable development, but the start up seems to be
quite slow. The reasons are linked to a question of style and behaviour of Italians, as well
as of other Europeans, who have a strong “affection” to cars.
So far, although many of the main drivers of transport demand are not directly subject
to transport policy control, this does not imply that transport policy tools are without
impact. The practical evidence suggests that prices, speeds, and quality of transport
alternatives offered, spatial planning and regulation are powerful instruments which have a
large effect on the volume of travel, especially in combination, and when sustained for
long enough to enable people and firms to modify their behaviour, which needs several
years.
We believe that demand management is sometimes resisted as restrictive or unfair. But
it is a necessary condition for improving mobility and environment. Failure to implement
the opportunities for managing demand will undermine the value for money and
effectiveness of infrastructure improvement, and lead to increasing congestion and
environmental damage.
2. The Asian situation and the Hong Kong case
Urban infrastructure in Hong Kong, especially urban transport, has been added to cities
over time as a major element in the promotion of urban efficiencies and safety, facilitating
exchange of goods, and therefore improved city economics. Today, however, urban
transport is increasingly seen as a threat to urban health, safety, economic efficiency and
quality of life [2].
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