THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT
UITP invites Americans to join By Doug Jack
T
he International Union of Public Transport (UITP), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, came together in 1885 when 50 representatives of the principal European tramway systems decided to meet and try to work a little closer with one another. While tramways and local railway companies are part of the same industry, they have very few relations with one another. As a result, the diverse member companies have dealt with both administrative and technical questions in very different ways without the expected results. The group expressed the need for engineers and specialists to learn UITP members were in North America on a technical visit in from the experience of colleagues in all San Francisco, CA. tramway administrations. In the earlier years of its existence, Exhibition it organizes every two years. At the 60th UITP was largely a European organization. As meeting in May in Geneva, Switzerland, more than the international network and global advocate for 3,000 delegates attended to discuss a very wide transit and sustainable mobility, its membership range of topics and exchange ideas. A wide variety now stands at more than 3,400 members in more of exhibitors keen to display their latest technology than 90 countries around the world. filled the two large adjacent halls. Many visitors While many of the members of UITP are still are top decision-makers, in charge of multi-million transit authorities, the organization has extended its dollar budgets. reach to include vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, Previous UITP Congresses and Exhibitions were consultants and research institutes involved in the hosted in Dubai, Vienna, Helsinki, Rome, Paris, industry. It has several categories of membership. Stuttgart, and as far afield as Sydney. In 2015, the I have been a personal member for many years and venue will be Milan and I can now say the 2017 find that UITP brings excellent value. The library event will take place May 13 to 17 in Montreal, QB, facilities in Brussels are very comprehensive and Canada. Montreal might seem like a long way off, accessible online for members. but preparations are already underway. The Queen knighted UITP President Sir As a global organization, the official languages Peter Hendy, CBE of Transport for London, for of UITP are English, French, German and masterminding the organization of transport for Spanish, but other languages are used at the London Olympics and the Paralympics in regional events. It provides excellent translation 2012. Public transport played a major and efficient services where required as well as superb multirole in carrying athletes, officials, the media and lingual publications. spectators to all the various venues. More than UITP has collaborative agreements and excellent 1,000 buses were in service every day, in addition working arrangements with APTA, CUTA and to maintaining normal services in the capital. ATUQ. Canada is well represented, with almost all UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch, the large Canadian cities as members. Alain Flausch former CEO of the Brussels transit agency who is keen to increase the membership base in the took his post when Hans Rat retired, worked very United States, and has put Lindsey Mancini in hard to extend the global reach and influence of charge of that challenge. UITP. He’s set up a number of regional divisions She says there are already some members around the world. from the United States, which include New York, UITP is best known for the major Congress and
32
BUSRIDE | O C T O B E R . 2013
busride.com