Alternative Ways to Improve Urban Mobility without a Public-Private Partnership | 29
least safe buses reduces the asymmetry of information in real time, as users can, at the tip of their fingers, choose safer buses and push those that need repairs to a lower price point or even out of the market.
Improve operators’ capacity and performance Better information allows for better planning and fleet management on the part of operators and may eventually encourage operators to join together to integrate service plans, even without the transportation authority’s regulation. Similarly, new payment systems reduce the need for cash management and reduce the risks associated with cash incomes. They can improve access to finance.
Improve institutional capacity for planning and monitoring If properly used, access to digital maps of actual public transportation routes can help authorities improve the process of planning conventional bus services. In addition, authorities can take advantage of existing automatic services, such as vehicle location or fleet management, to request data from private operators that allow for better planning, defining, and enforcing of routes and levels of service.
IMPLEMENT PUNCTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE-RELATED INTERVENTIONS It is possible to achieve many of the common objectives of urban bus PPPs by implementing only certain strategic elements of a plan. Very often, undertaking a systemwide, disruptive reform is not required. This section discusses successful examples of this kind of selective intervention.
Reserve entire streets for public transportation during peak hours This measure consists of designating a street (or a section of a street) for use only by public transportation during hours when demand is greatest. This is a very low-cost measure because it only requires implementing proper signaling and demarcation and then notifying users. An example can be found in the city of Temuco, Chile, where the designation of eight blocks allows public transportation to move faster through the most congested part of the city. The area is monitored by smart cameras that record infractions.
Designate public transportation lanes of shared roads The allocation of one (or more) circulation lanes for public transportation has proven to be quite effective, improving the speed of buses by up to 40 percent. One example is the Bus-Only Track Plan in São Paulo, Brazil (photo 3.1).
Physically segregate public transportation lanes Exclusive public transportation lanes are physically segregated from mixed traffic. These exclusive lanes are often positioned in the middle of a road. Some have passenger platforms to the right, so they can be used by any public transportation vehicle, not only those with doors opening on the left. One example are the bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes in Buenos Aires, Argentina (photo 3.2).
