Urban Transport

1. Definition and System Structure

Urban transport refers to public travel as well as passenger and freight transport operations conducted within city (including urban and suburban) road networks. Its system comprises two major components: external urban transport (aviation, rail, road, and water transport) and internal urban transport (rail transit and city road traffic). Serving as the vital link that integrates various urban elements, urban transport is a classic "socio-technical" system consisting of five core pillars: people, transit systems, environment, regulations, and information.

2. Public Transport Systems

Public transport forms the backbone of urban mobility, dating back to 1829 with the introduction of horse-drawn omnibuses in London. Modern urban public transport systems comprise two key subsystems:

• Vehicles and Infrastructure: Encompassing conventional public transport (buses, trolleybuses), rapid rail transit (MRT/subways, LRT), suburban commuter rail, as well as transport terminals and depots.

• Planning and Operational Management: Covering route network planning, ticketing and fare structures, service monitoring, fleet dispatching, and vehicle maintenance.

Public transport models vary across different city sizes—small and medium-sized cities rely primarily on stage buses and trams for passenger transit, whereas in major metropolises, rail transit networks such as MRT and metro systems have evolved into the primary transport backbone.

3. Key Characteristics of Urban Transport

Urban transport differs fundamentally from intercity transport across four core aspects: passenger transit takes precedence, morning and evening peak hours are distinct, commuter flow patterns follow specific internal dynamics, and passenger volume directly correlates with overall urban master planning. In terms of systemic traits, urban transport also displays path dependency—where historical spatial layouts and infrastructure continue to shape its evolutionary trajectory.

4. Shifts in Public Transport Modal Share

Urban commuting patterns have undergone significant structural shifts in recent years. In 2025, an average of 100 million commuters travel daily by bus, 100 million rely on taxis and e-hailing rides, and another 100 million commute via rail transit. Survey findings reveal that MRT/metro lines account for 32.18% of daily urban commutes, private vehicles make up 25.61%, while conventional stage buses represent just 11.07%. This shifting trend has brought persistent challenges to the fore, particularly the underutilisation of dedicated bus lanes.

5. Key Development Trends

Boosting Commuter Efficiency: The national "15th Five-Year Plan" has designated "enhancing intercity commuting efficiency across metropolitan clusters" as a flagship initiative. The target is to ensure 75% of the population in major metropolitan areas enjoys seamless one-hour commuting connectivity by 2030.

Public Transport-First Policy: To tackle urban traffic congestion, industry experts advocate establishing an integrated transport ecosystem anchored by rail transit and public buses, complemented by the coordinated operation of taxis, e-hailing, and private vehicles.

Optimised Bus Lane Management: Municipal authorities are exploring targeted enhancements for dedicated bus lanes, including shortening operational hours, permitting high-occupancy vehicles (HOV), and leveraging big data for dynamic lane allocation.

Smart Mobility Transition: The Ministry of Transport has underscored the push towards "smart mobility"—spearheading the digital and intelligent upgrading of arterial road networks in metropolitan areas, rolling out smart parking guidance and automated valet parking across key transport hubs, and accelerating real-world applications of "AI + Transport".