DDRIÜ Nonprofit Kft. based in Pécs is also participating in the development of Central European public transport, which is taking place within the framework of the OPTI-UP international project. The project has now reached a new milestone, as the detailed data report and the unified transport database have been completed.
These results not only form the backbone of the project, but also serve to lay the foundations for future developments. All this in the Central European region, where the close intertwining of transport and urban planning presents particularly important challenges.
What do the data show?
The completed comprehensive data report thoroughly examined the public transport systems of six pilot cities, including two Hungarian cities, Pécs and Paks. The analysis not only mapped the physical characteristics of the networks, but also the social and demographic environment.
The report paints a particularly interesting picture of the past and present of the networks. In four of the cities studied, organised public transport has been operating for more than 100 years, whilst modern solutions, such as demand-responsive services and electric vehicles, are also appearing with increasing strength.
Finances, challenges and best practices
The detailed financial analysis also highlights that ticket revenue alone nowhere covers operational costs – state subsidy is essential everywhere. The data also showed how large the differences are between the sizes and utilisation of networks: while in Pécs 85 lines operate, in other cities the provision is much more modest, yet many cities struggle with the issue of increasing efficiency.
The analysis not only points out the problems, but also brings international examples: based on the experiences of successful European projects, it emphasises that the involvement of local actors and comprehensible communication play a key role in the success of developments.
Unified database – the key to comparability
The other important result is the Unified Database, which creates a common language for data interpretation between cities. This online accessible data repository collects the most important data related to public transport along coordinated indicators – such as vehicle utilization, route network length, passenger numbers, and operating costs.
This enables the various cities not to think in isolation, but to learn from each other and find adaptable, locally functioning solutions.
The goal: to develop sustainable, efficient and passenger-friendly public transport systems
With the results achieved so far, the project is entering a new phase: detailed city-level analyses and concrete development plans will soon be prepared. The database will be continuously updated, providing participating cities with a living knowledge base until the end of the project (and hopefully beyond).
The aim of OPTI-UP is not merely data collection: the project calls on urban planners, transport providers and decision-makers to make use of these results.
The full report and database are available on the project website.