Austria with Great Need to Catch Up in Local Bus Services

Nearly half of the respondents rated the existing structures as poor. The experts advocated for more frequent services during peak traffic times and guaranteed connections between public transport services, the Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) announced in a press release on Wednesday.

Not Just Expansion of Bus Services

245 experts from 195 organisations were surveyed for the analysis. In addition to the expansion of bus services, increased investments in regional and suburban trains were also considered beneficial. In general, better coordination of timetables between buses and trains is important. Safe walking and cycling paths to train and bus stops are also essential.

The experts named urban sprawl and insufficient funding as the biggest obstacles for the future of public transport. The most important political measures would be intelligent spatial planning and a reform of the commuter allowance.

"Not a Law of Nature, but a Result of Political Measures"

"The fact that people in the regions are often heavily dependent on cars is not a law of nature, but the result of political measures, not only in the transport sector, but also in housing construction and commercial settlement development. It's high time that the population in the regions also gets more freedom in their choice of transport through a comprehensive public transport service," said VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger.

One in four respondents indicated that by 2035, autonomous driving will play a significant role in public bus transport. According to the survey, this was even the case for 55 percent in rail transport.

(APA/Red)

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