Bringing the public and the transport closer

BANGALORE: Every year, The Embassy of Sweden in India organises the Nobel Memorial Week during the time when Noble Prize is awarded. The Noble Memorial Week comprises several activities that brings together participants from varied fields to experience aspects of Swedish ethos, food and melody.Volvo Buses has organised a special seminar on October 14, on transport during the Nobel Memorial week, jointly hosted with The Embassy of Sweden in India. The aim of this seminar is to identify and deliberate on issues of public transport in India and help find a solution. Stakeholders from multiple agencies across India participate in this event and share their expertise on diverse aspects of public transport. The intention is to then move towards a shared vision for  collective progress.Public Transport has gained considerable traction in various cities across India over the last decade. The cities have their own dynamics in terms of population, area to be covered and flow of traffic. This has resulted in the creation of a distinct public transport system for specific city needs. While some cities have a mix of rail and road transportation, others rely largely on road transportation.The biggest challenge being witnessed in all cities in India is the growth of population and the corresponding  explosion in personal vehicles on road. This  calls for changes in lifestyle connected to mobility and understand people behavior and their requirements. Acceptance by the public is the key to putting in  place an effective transport system. Some of the reasons that prevent people from using public transport are access, point-to-point connectivity, frequency and cost of  commute. The objective of this seminar is to engage thoughts on understanding on what has to be done by all  stakeholders to bring together both, public and public transport on the same platform.The first edition of the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Award will take place with the Nobel Week Seminar this year.