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VIC TRANSPORT AND VOLVO BUSES WIN UTIP AWARDS

VICTORIA’S on-demand Flexiride service and Volvo Buses Europe's Gothenburg bus electrification project were key winners at the recent 2021 UITP Awards.

The 2021 UITP Awards winners were announced at the MENA World Congress, held in Dubai on 6-8 February.

Taking place every two years, the UITP Awards, “…showcase the most ambitious and innovative projects of the last two years in cities and regions around the globe,” it states – and cover eight categories from Diversity and Inclusion to Multimodal Integration and Public and Urban Transport Strategy.

The 2021 Awards shone a spotlight on a key Australian project, the ‘Rowville Flexiride – Demand Responsive Public Transport System’ from the Department of Transport, Victoria, which won the Design Award, while Volvo Buses Europe also made a splash winning the Climate and Health Award for its project called ‘The Gothenburg Delivery’.

Other winning projects included: a drive to reduce sexual harassment on public transport in Barcelona; smart services to aid passengers in Singapore find their way or get assistance; an app bringing together information all of Moscow’s public transport options; and the upgrade of a busway in the French city of Nantes to make it 100 per cent electric.

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RIDE ON TIME

Public Transport Victoria’s Flexiride, which won the UTIP Design Award, is a demand-responsive weekday service with no fixed route, allowing passengers to book their trip from their nearest virtual stop, it states. The result of a partnership between participating operators, the Department of Transport, Victoria, and Moovit – a Mobility as a Service solutions provider and creator of the Flexiride app – Flexiride is currently operating across six different areas of Victoria: Croydon, Lilydale, Melton South, Mooroolbark, Rosebud and Rowville. It was the Rowville section that won the UTIP Award.

“It’s an honour to see the Flexiride trial in Rowville win the design award at the International Association of Public Transport Awards (UITP) held this week in Dubai,” said Minister for Public Transport and Road Safety Ben Carroll.

“This award recognises Flexiride’s convenience, flexibility, popularity and the ease in which passengers can order the service and get where they need to go.

“Since introducing the Flexiride trial to Rowville, we have expanded on-demand services and trials across a number of growing suburbs in Melbourne and will continue to add additional routes throughout the year.

“It is all part of Victoria’s Bus Plan, to improve our bus network to better meet demand, improve accessibility and performance, and deliver value for money.

“I’d like to thank the Department of Transport and our bus operators for getting this innovative trial up and running across the state to ensure Victorians have access to reliable public transport,” Minister Carroll said.

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“IT’S MARVELLOUS”

The Flexiride service was extended to the east Melbourne suburbs of Rowville and Ferntree Gully in December, 2020, operated by Victoria’s largest bus provider Ventura.

Passengers use the app to book rides to and from Ferntree Gully Station and Stud Park Shopping Centre

The Flexiride app: suggests the most efficient routes; enables users to book a ride from any virtual stop to the two hubs or back again; directs passengers to their nearest pickup point; provides real-time tracking of the bus; and enable future bookings to be made up to a week in advance. Passengers then use their Myki card to pay for the ride, as they would for any other public transport service on the Myki network.

For passengers with accessibility requirements, they can request a more tailored service that can collect them from their front door or another accessible location.

Rowville resident Elaine Wallis, who has impaired vision, uses Flexiride up to four times a week to visit Stud Park Shopping Centre for coffee with her walking group and relies heavily on the service to get out and about.

“It’s marvellous,” she said.

“Without it I’d probably stay home a lot more or I’d have to get a taxi, which is too expensive, and they don’t like doing short trips,” Wallis stated.

The on-demand service has also helped reduce commuting trips by having virtual stops nearer to some users than timetabled bus route stops and provides greater flexibility.

Ventura driver Hubert Lacanau says he liked the fact Flexiride allowed him to go the extra mile for his passengers.

“We have customers with challenges like visual and hearing impairment and the elderly who we can drop at their doorstep, which makes them feel safer,” he said.

“In the afternoons, we carry lots of school kids. I’ve spoken to parents and it gives them peace of mind knowing how their child is going to get home and be on time.

“Currently, a 12-month trial is taking place of Flexiride in in Lilydale, Mooroolbark and Croydon, having started in October, 2021. The service operates 6.00am to 8.00pm on weekdays and 8.00am to 6.00pm on Saturdays, with no services on Sundays or public holidays.

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ON POINT

Volvo Buses’ win in the Climate and Health category for its successful electro-mobility implementation in Gothenburg, Sweden, not only, “…recognises the positive environmental benefits the electric bus system has had on the city”, but also highlights Volvo Buses’ leading knowledge and experience in implementing complete electric bus systems,” the company said.

The Gothenburg delivery included the provision of 145 Volvo 7900 electric articulated buses and charging infrastructure in the city. Close partnerships with the local public transport authority VŠsttrafik, and bus operator Transdev, were essential for the project to succeed, Volvo Buses says.

Implementation of the entire electro-mobility system and bus fleet took place overnight for a seamless transition, with the changeover taking place in December, 2020. The project was part of Gothenburg’s mission to become fossil fuel-independent by 2030, it explains.

Volvo Buses says that since the introduction of electric buses to Gothenburg’s streets, there have been measurable environmental benefits, with CO2 emissions in the city reduced by 10 per cent compared to the old buses, which were running on renewable fuels.

Emissions of nitrogen oxides have almost halved as well, and particles have decreased by almost 20 per cent.

“We are delighted to see our electro-mobility delivery in Gothenburg win this important award,” Volvo Buses senior vice president Ulf Magnusson said of the win.

“Electrifying 35 per cent of a city bus fleet overnight demands extensive planning, close collaborations and expertise. The project is part of our ongoing commitment to quiet, clean and sustainable public transport that helps to create Zero Cities all over the world,” he said.

UTIP secretary general Mohamed Mezghani added: “The UITP Awards celebrate the most ambitious and cutting-edge projects from around the globe. Volvo Buses and the Gothenburg delivery exceeded expectations on all the criteria that we set.”

“We felt the project excelled at enhancing quality of life in urban areas by promoting public transport while positioning it as the backbone of urban and local mobility.

“The project managed to do this innovatively, with prospects for replication by our colleagues in the sector.

“We congratulate them and are very proud to offer them a UITP award!” he stated.

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ABOUT UTIP

Located in Brussels, Belgium, UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) is the International Association of Public Transport and a passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility, it says.

Established in 1885, with more than 135 years of history, it is the only worldwide network to bring together all public transport stakeholders and all sustainable transport modes, it states.

UTIP has 1,900 members around the world and 15 offices globally, with its Australia/New Zealand office based in Melbourne.

The UTIP Awards are usually reserved for members of UITP, but outstanding applications from non-UTIP members may be considered, it confirms.

Photography: courtesy Department of Transport, Victoria + Volvo Buses Europe

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