The event was officially opened by Amador G. Ayora, Editor-in-Chief of elEconomista, and was organised around three round table discussions focused on the railway sector, innovation and the user experience in public transport, and infrastructure, energy and data. The event was officially closed by Sara Hernández, Secretary-General for Sustainable Mobility at the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
Josep Maria Martí, Chairman of Moventia, took part in the second round table discussion, entitled “Innovation and the user experience in public transport”. Also taking part in this discussion were Imanol Martín Ortiz de Landázuri, Transport Sector Partner at Deloitte; Juan Antonio March, Head of Rail&Transit in Mobility at Indra Group; and Francisco Javier (Patxi) Gómez López, Head of Strategic Planning and Operation at the Regional Transport Consortium of Madrid. The session was moderated by Víctor de Elena, Editor for Mobility and Transport Affairs at elEconomista.
While speaking, Josep Maria Martí examined the strong growth in demand for public transport in many cities and argued that this is not merely an isolated phenomenon tied to such measures as making it free or offering discounts. “We are not looking at just a temporary shift. We are facing a structural change in urban and metropolitan mobility”, he said.
The Chairman of Moventia stressed that the use of public transport in numerous corridors and major cities has increased significantly, “in some cases by 50% or even doubling”. In this context, he highlighted that such cities as Madrid and Barcelona have a public transport offer that is “very broad, mature and competitive”, which makes it easier for the public to change their mobility habits.
The Chairman of Moventia also pointed to background economic and demographic factors to explain this growth in demand. “The economy is strong, GDP is growing and the tertiary sector is creating more and more jobs, which leads to more urban and intercity journeys”, he said. With that in mind, he argued that the increased use of public transport not only stems from the price but from a combination of increased economic activity, greater urban concentration, growing daily mobility needs and a better perception of public transport as a real alternative.
In this regard, he highlighted the need for transport systems to be capable of absorbing this new demand while maintaining quality standards. Josep Maria Martí referred to his recent experience in Tokyo to illustrate the importance of having a robust and extensive public transport network. He explained that “the city could not function without public transport”, because it has a very dense transport network. “We must be capable of having a public transport network that underpins everything. We need to pay heed to that example of a city that moves 37 million people every day”, he added.
The organisation of public transport in major urban areas was another of the topics discussed during the event, with a particular focus on the Madrid and Barcelona models. Josep Maria Martí highlighted the role of Julián Revenga, the first Managing Director of the Regional Transport Consortium of Madrid, under whose leadership the launch of the transport pass “Abono Transporte” was structured and promoted. This initiative allowed metro, bus and Cercanías railway fares to be unified for the first time under a single travel pass. The Chairman of Moventia believes that decision was especially relevant because “it placed the focus on the user ” by means of a single travel pass, a system that was easy to understand, improved convenience and reduced the barriers to using various means of transport.
The Chairman of Moventia reminded everyone that there was no comparable integration in Barcelona until 2000, meaning that Madrid was ahead of the curve in this process. However, he stressed that the goal should not be to copy a model 100% but rather to learn from its best features. “It is very clear what the user needs: accessible information, a simple payment system, understandable fares, good intermodality and a comfortable, punctual and reliable service”, he said.
Technology was another key topic in the discussion. The group’s top executive argued that daily operations for transport operators are changing radically, especially via the real-time management of information. For the passenger, he explained, “this leads to specific benefits, such as knowing when the next bus, metro or train will arrive, knowing about incidents immediately, planning journeys better and reducing uncertainty and waiting times”.
During the course of the forum, Josep Maria Martí also wished to discuss the main concerns of mobility operators in the current climate. He said that the challenges are economic, employment-related and operational. From among them, he highlighted the need to “survive the de-indexation law”, which makes it difficult to adequately pass on cost increases to contracts. This situation, he explained, “becomes especially relevant in a scenario characterised by an increase in costs stemming from permanent geopolitical instability, increasing energy costs and the need to continue investing in quality and sustainability”.
The Chairman of Moventia also warned of the growing difficulty in finding professionals, especially drivers and technical profiles; an issue that he described as worrying for the entire sector.