Public Transport and Strategies

An effective and efficient public transport system is key to global continued economic growth, environmental stewardship and social well-being as the whole system is increasingly set to embrace smart city operations.
The unit provides students with an understanding of practices and principles of public transport operations, strategies and planning that seek to improve the transport infrastructure and services supporting user mobility and accessibility. Particularly, the unit focuses on stakeholder and community engagement principles, public transport options, mode and means of transport, resource needs and process improvement for public transport.
The unit introduces public transport organisations and institutions where students will appreciate their key roles in policy formulation and regulations associated with the transport systems. As cities are rapidly developing and investing in integrated mobility, rider connectivity, and digitalisation, the unit equips students with tools to measure performance based on three pillars of sustainable urban mobility: people, planet and profit. It also provides context by making comparisons with international trends and practices. The unit covers some strategic options for improvement of public transport with due attention to congestion, parking, cycling, and walking.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Critically review the underlying principles of public transport and strategies in relation to economic growth, environmental stewardship and social wellbeing;
2. Appraise the use of various public transport strategies by undertaking reviews of recent literature on public mobility and accessibility and how they impact on the future of public transport options, modes of transport, resources needed and process improvement opportunities;
3. Critically analyse and reflect on the three pillars of sustainable public transport (people, planet and profit) and policy development in a small team; and,
4. Evaluate and report on integrated public mobility, sustainability and contribution to the economy and planetary health.