10 reasons why you should use public transport

Public transportation, while maybe not as enjoyable as commuting in your own personal vehicle, does ease congestion, reduce emissions, and give you plenty of quality time to people watch, as well as get to know your "neighbors." In addition, public transportation allows you to relax, read or nap during that commute instead of fighting and stressing and feeling the road rage.

So, what do we mean by public transportation? Well, for this article we are focusing on buses, trains, planes and ferries/boats, whether used for the daily commute or just to get around. For those of you interested in leaving that car at home, these tips discuss the merits of public transportation as well as offer suggestions for how to expand and improve public transportation in your community.

Image: Press-Office City of Müenster, Germany

Top Public Transportation Tips

1. A (hu)man with a Plan
   If you're not sure you can do the public transportation thing, start small with one a goal of taking public transportation at least one day a week until you figure out the system. Before you know it, you'll be making friends and riding along with everyone else.


2. Come Fly With Me
   Try to reduce the number of plane trips you take and try not to use a plane for any trips under 1000km. Plane trips are way more environmentally destructive than automobile trips.


3. Get On the Bus
   Write to your city representatives to request that your community upgrade their diesel buses to fleets of electric or biodiesel buses. This will reduce the CO2 emissions generated, reduce dependence on imported oil dependency, and in the case of biodiesel engines actually run cleaner and more efficient than petrochemical diesel. Even diesel buses are worth getting on. We calculated that buses only need to carry 3-8 people to break even with a car on CO2 emissions.


4. Try the bus or train for longer trips
   Buses, trains, light rail and ferries generally have dedicated travel paths that are quicker than sitting alone in your car, which can cut down travel times. If you need to use a car, see if you can car-pool. Each of these options is much better than flying. In a car, four people would only be collectively responsible for emitting only 104 kilograms of CO2, whereas in a plane they would generate some 736 kilograms of carbon dioxide. A cross-country train trip would generate about half the greenhouse-gas emissions of driving a car.


5. Walk to school
   Most children live close enough to walk school, but few do. Instead of driving your children the few blocks, walk with them or allow them to take the school bus. Take it step further by helping organize a walking bus for other kids in your neighborhood.


6. Catch a taxi
   Really these are a form of public transport because you don't own them, and when you don't need the service they are made available for others to use. Look out for hybrid or pedi-cab taxis, or book with Zipcar or Uber for an even greener option.


7. Telecommute
   Don't drive to the office, or fly to that conference, if you can arrange to complete your work/presentation electronically, or via video conferencing. Video conferencing can reduce 99 percent of the energy used for a trans-continental flight. In this age of the internet, there are so many tools that maketelecommuting an effective and efficient way of working.


8. Buy fare saver tickets
   Return, weekly/monthly, or off-peak bus/train tickets are often significantly cheaper than single ride tickets, which will encourage you to use said bus/train more often.


9. Plan your trip
   Obtain timetable and route-maps for your journey to know what to expect in advance. Many municipal public transport systems now have free online databases than will take your staring point and destination and calculate the fastest times and best route for your trip, not to mention the wonder that is google maps. This can take the uncertainty out of public transport travel.


10. Be a Change Agent
    If you don't use public transport in your local area because the service doesn't work for you, for whatever reason, then get it changed. Write letters to your city newspaper, comment on their online stories that address urban travel, join a public transport advocacy group, and meet with your local government representative. Things won't change, until you inform people you want them to.

Trains are a much better alternative to planes. Photo by Alain Gavillet/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Public Transportation: By the Numbers

• 10.7 billion: Number of trips Americans took in public transport in 2013 - the highest number since the 50's, when few had their own cars.


• 40 percent: Reduction in U.S. reliance on foreign oil that would occur if one in ten Americans used public transportation daily.


• 7: Number of times safer that riding a bus is over riding in your own automobile.


• 450: Millions of gallons saved from people taking public transportation each year. This is roughly the energy needed to power ¼ of all American homes annually.


• 6,000: Difference in pounds of global warming pollution that a diesel school bus emits over a natural gas school bus.


• 20 percent: Carbon monoxide emissions saved if one in five Americans rode public transportation daily; the savings would be greater than the combined emissions from all chemical manufacturing and metal processing industries.

Public Transportation Benefit

Public transportation in the United States is a crucial part of the solution to the nation’s economic, energy, and environmental challenges - helping to bring a better quality of life. In increasing numbers, people are using public transportation and local communities are expanding public transit services. Every segment of American society - individuals, families, communities, and businesses - benefits from public transportation.

Public Transportation Consists of a Variety of Modes

• Buses
• Trolleys and light rail
• Subways
• Commuter trains
• Streetcars
• Cable cars
• Van pool services
• Paratransit services for Senior citizens and people with disabilities
• Ferries and water taxis
• Monorails and tramways

Quick Facts

• In 2014, Americans took 10.8 billion trips on public transportation - - the highest in 58 years. 
• Since 1995, public transit ridership is up 39 percent, outpacing population growth, which is up 21 percent, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is up 25 percent.
• People board public transportation 36 million times each weekday.
• Public transportation is a $61 billion industry that employs more than 400,000 people.
• More than 7,200 organizations provide public transportation in the United States.

Public Transportation Enhances Personal Opportunities

• Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life.
• Access to public transportation gives people transportation options to get to work, go to school, visit friends, or go to a doctor’s office.
• Public transportation provides access to job opportunities for millions of Americans.

Public Transportation Saves Fuel, Reduces Congestion

• Public transportation has a proven record of reducing congestion.
• The latest research shows that in 2011, U.S. public transportation use saved 865 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel in 498 urban areas.
• Without public transportation, congestion costs in 2011 would have risen by nearly $21 billion from $121 billion to $142 billion in 498 urban areas.

Public Transportation Provides Economic Opportunities & Drives Community Growth and Revitalization

• Every $1 invested in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns.
• Every $1 billion invested in public transportaiton supports and creates more than 50,000 jobs.
• Every $10 million in capital investment in public transportation yields $30 million in increased business sales.
• Home values performed 42 percent better on average if they were located near public transportation with high-frequency service.

Public Transportation Saves Money

• Using public transportation is the quickest way to beat high gas prices.
• According to APTA’s Transit Saving Report, a two-person household can save, on the average, more than $10,174 a year by downsizing to one car.
• Public transportation provides an affordable, and for many, necessary, alternative to driving.

Public Transportation Reduces Gasoline Consumption

• Public transportation use in the United States saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
• Households near public transit drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles than households with no access to public transit.

Public Transportation Reduces Carbon Footprint

• Public transportation use in the United States reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. This is equivalent to Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Denver; and Los Angeles combined stopping using electricity. 
• One person with a 20-mile round trip commute who switches from driving to public transit can reduce his or her daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds, or more than 4,800 pounds in a year.
• A single commuter switching his or her commute to public transportation can reduce a household’s carbon emissions by 10 percent and up to 30 percent if he or she eliminates a second car.

Benefits of public transport

It could save you money.

Catching public transport may be up to four times cheaper than travelling in your car (according to RACQ research using a journey of 12km to the Brisbane CBD). It can also save you the cost of buying, maintaining and running additional vehicles.

It may improve your health.

Walking to and from public transport adds valuable minutes to your daily exercise total. Using public transport may also be less stressful than driving yourself, allowing you to read, listen to music or just slow down for a bit in your busy day.

It's good for the environment.

Public transport is at least twice as energy efficient as private cars; a full bus produces 377 times less carbon monoxide than a full car. Each full standard bus can take more than 50 cars off the road while a full train can take more than 600 cars off the road.

It helps fights congestion.

Congestion is estimated to cost Brisbane tax payers as much as $3 billion by 2020. Up to 18,000 people per hour travel on TransLink busways during peak periods, reducing congestion costs; that's equivalent to about seven lanes of freeway traffic

History of Transformation of Public Transport

The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) is an effort by Malaysia's current Government to address seven key areas concerning the people of the country. The programme was unveiled on 28 January 2010 by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. and is expected to contribute in making the country a developed and high-income nation as per its Vision 2020.^[1]

The Programme was created to support the Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak's motto of People First, Performance Now^[2] and will be implemented until 2012 as a foundation for the transformation of Malaysia.

6 initial National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) which were derived from surveys with the nation's citizens and following months of evaluating the people's demands of the Government and the most pressing issues were selected to develop the NKRAs.^[3] In July 2011, a 7th NKRA was announced to address another pressing issue of inflation and rising daily cost of the people. A focused list of projects and initiatives for each NKRA was developed to ensure that big fast results for specific targets are achieved.

The NKRAs are the responsibility of relevant Ministries and the Performance Delivery and Management Unit (PEMANDU) was initiated to monitor the achievements of each Ministry.^[4] The NKRAs and its detailed targets were made public with the publishing of the GTP Roadmap.^[5]

Following the first year in implementation, majority of the NKRAs achieved more than 90% of their targets and the results were also made available via the GTP Annual Report 2010.^[6]

The National Key Results Areas (NKRAs)[edit]

The National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) under the GTP were identified to improve the socio-economic growth of Malaysia.

The NKRAs are the priority needs of the people. It represents a combination of short-term priorities to address urgent public demands and equally important long-term issues affecting the people that required the Government's attention immediately.

The initial six NKRAs are Reducing Crime, Fighting Corruption, Improving Student Outcomes, Raising Living Standards of Low Income Households, Improving Rural Basic Infrastructure and Improving Urban Public Transport that have been under the GTP since its introduction in 2010.

The NKRAs are collectively owned by the Cabinet, with accountability for delivery resting on a Lead Minister, appointed and formally monitored by the Prime Minister. In July 2011, a 7th NKRA – Addressing Cost of Living was announced to address another pressing issue of inflation and rising daily cost of the people.^[7]

Each NKRA is headed by a Ministry and the Minister is subject to the Ministerial Key Result Area (MKRA), which is a direct measurement of the targets to the outcome. The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) was initiated to oversee the progress of each Ministry.

Reducing Crime[edit]

The Reducing Crime NKRA looks at revitalising the criminal justice system to improve all operative layers of addressing crime in Malaysia.

Since the implementation, several measurable key results were announced such as nationwide crime reduced, violent crime cases cleared, police station ranking and more personnel mobilised to frontline duty. Specific action plans have been laid out to achieve this goal

Fighting Corruption[edit]

US Corporations' view on corruption in conducting business in Malaysia

Corruption has been a long fought battle in Malaysia. The cost of corruption to the nation is significant, potentially amounting to as much as RM10 billion a year, or 1–2% of GDP.

A key result aimed during the course of the GTP is to improve the internal perception of corruption. Corporate bodies in the country are also encouraged to sign a pledge to battle corruption in their business activities and operations in Malaysia known as The Corporate Integrity Pledge.^[10]

Improving Students Outcomes[edit]

Though Malaysia has achieved a 92% adult literacy rate, continuous efforts are needed to strengthen the core of Malaysian societal layers to ensure that quality education is accessible to all Malaysians.

The GTP targets to create a holistic growth in the education sector by addressing fundamental issues like pre-school education and basic literacy and numeracy skills through the programmes announced.^[11]

Performance based assessment for Principals and Head Teachers with rewards and consequences clearly drawn out. This is to emphasise the fact that a good leader can create credible results for the whole school. Rewards will be in the form of financial and non-financial recognition while underperformers will be sent to undergo development management and remedial programmes to assist their performance.^[12]

To assist underperforming schools achieve the High Performing School status gradually. The efforts under this programme will take place following the School Performance Ranking. An automated tool will be provided to study specific needs of each school under the programme and assist the Principals/ Head Teachers to plan better for the school. Approved plans will be provided with support tools for implementation. The NKRA aims to reduce the number of Band 6 and 7 schools by 20% and increase the number of Band 1 and 2 schools by 8% in the course of the GTP.^[13]

Raising Living Standards of Low-Income Households[edit]

The Raising Living Standard of Low-Income Households NKRA is aimed to empower low income households to improve their social standing and create more income opportunities.

Besides defining and identifying the poor, the NKRA also aims to create a long term system that helps create opportunities for the underprivileged. Among the initiatives are creating job opportunities, increasing basic wage, finding business opportunities and providing welfare assistance.^[14]

Improving Rural Basic Infrastructure[edit]

35% of the Malaysian population live in rural areas with minimal access to proper roads, water and electricity supply. These elements are basic human rights and should be accessible to all Malaysians regardless of location and economic background. The availability of these facilities will also develop the socio-economic status of the rural population.^[15]

The pace of deployment especially to East Malaysia has to be increased to ensure these basic rights are delivered for the long run in the identified areas. The target is to build 11 times as many kilometres of roads, 2.5 times as many houses, 5 times as many houses with electricity and connect seven times as many houses to clean water during the activation of the GTP.

1,900 km of the planned roads will be in Sabah and Sarawak. The achievement of this will mean that 91.4% of the population will be living within a five kilometre radius to a paved road by 2010 in Peninsular Malaysia.^[16]

Existing administrative processes will also be revamped to reduce time on paperwork- e.g. open road tender process. Application of standard templates and parallel processes where applicable. Collaborations amongst all state and federal government agencies have significantly improved with better communication and effective problem solution methodologies implemented through the years.

Ensure access to clean or treated water[edit]

This will mean in Sabah and Sarawak, the percentage of rural houses with access to clean or treated water will reach approximately 60% in 2010 and 89% in 2012, a significant increase from 57% currently. Finding least cost and fast ways to deliver through usage of alternative sources like tube wells, gravity wells or rain water recovery for areas that are distant from reticulation networks (piped water supplies).^[17]

Improved communications amongst government agencies, contractors and consultants speeded up construction works on site, thus creating effective and high intensity workforces throughout the project periods.

Improving Urban Public transport[edit]

Despite its necessity, the quality of urban transport was not commendable with constant complaints. The lack of an integrated system prompted the development of the Improving Urban Public Transport NKRA. This NKRA will address the issues of efficiency, connectivity and convenience of the urban public transport system.

As a big achievement, the GTP is looking to create a higher demand for public transport by improving the overall availability and efficiency of the system. Furthermore, seamless connectivity is also aimed to be achieved to ensure key urban areas are well linked.

Single point accountability through the Land Public Transport Authority (SPAD- Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat)-fully operational by end 2010 to manage policy planning and regulatory oversight. The Authority will tie in the 12 Ministries currently involved in the different aspects of public transport.^[18]

Addressing Cost of Living[edit]

Klinik 1Malaysia

Malaysia's inflation rate stands at 3.4% as of September 2011.

The objective is to reduce/ subsidise these rising daily costs to ensure people have a better money flow to manage with their expenses. These initiatives will be developed and adjusted to suit the requirements of the people. Some initiatives provide immediate relied while the rest were implemented to ensure that people experience an improving living condition in the long run.