A shift in transport preferences: What are European cities using?

A new study has revealed that public transport is the most preferred mode of travel for many people in Europe.

According to a report by Euronews  In a survey involving more than 2,500 people from Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, and Warsaw, Paris emerged as the city with the highest preference for public transport, with 86 percent of its residents using it. In contrast, more than half of the residents in Warsaw and Madrid continue to use cars.

In Warsaw in particular, the accessibility of public transport stops stands out as one of the factors influencing car usage preferences.

Marie-Ange Debon, President of the French Public Transport and Railway Transport Union and CEO of the Keolis Group, stated in an interview with Euronews Next that the survey results are consistent with her observations in the field. Debon said, "Drivers abandon their cars to use public transport when there is an adequate [transport] option available."

On average across the cities, 36 percent of survey participants prefer to use cars for distances of less than 15 minutes.

Debon noted, "Transport accounts for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and public transport contributes only 1 percent of that."

Experts acknowledge that car usage will remain prevalent in rural areas, but that methods to reduce this usage are available.

Debon cited systems such as on-demand transport, car-sharing, and electric bus routes as examples. Furthermore, highlighting the importance of integrating travel options, he stated, "If you do not equip a region with transportation infrastructure, you cannot develop that region."

News Source: 12punto