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SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY FOR ALL

The Global Mobility System Today

Moving people and goods around the world is now faster, cheaper and more efficient than it ever was. Thanks to air travel, journeys that once took weeks or even months can now be completed within a day. Larger number of goods can now be shipped from one corner of the globe to another with the help of faster and bigger cargo ships helping international trade flourish. Meanwhile increasing access to transport has helped connect millions with better jobs, education and health care.

Demand for transport in the near future is set to increase dramatically. By 2030, annual passenger traffic is set to increase by 50%, global freight volumes by 70% and an additional 1.2 billion cars will be on the road by 2050. With half of the new world population entering the middle-class, lifestyle and mobility expectations are changing radically.

How can we ensure that this demand for greater mobility from the current generation is not met at the expense of future generations? In other words, how can we ensure that mobility is sustainable?

Hover over the icons below to find out interesting facts about the global mobility system in the world.  

 

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At least 1 billion people in low-income countries lack access to an all-weather road

References: GMR 2017
 

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Substandard rural road access is highly correlated to poverty: in developing countries, 40 percent of food losses occur post-harvest, including degradation and spillage from poor transport conditions.

References: GMR 2017
 

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About 7.5 billion trips are taken every day in urban areas worldwide, but less than 16% on public transport. In Sub-Saharan Africa and North America, less than 5% of trips are taken using public transport.

References: GMR 2017
 

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Only 22% of transportation workers in the European Union are women.

 

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More than 1.35 million people continue to be killed in the world’s roadways every year and 50 million get injured.

Nine out of ten road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries despite them having just over half the total number of vehicles in the world.

References: WHO
 

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Transport is solely responsible for 64% of global oil consumption and 23% of energy related green-house gas emissions

References: GMR 2017
 

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Developing countries pay 40-70% more to ship internationally per dollar of import.

References: GMR 2017
 

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Transport has become the backbone of virtual mobility. For example, rural residents in China are now connected virtually with global markets through an on-line marketplace company. This connectivity allows them to transport their produce to the entireworld and have goods like fertilizers and seeds brought to their doorstep.

References: GMR 2017
 

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The African continent could become self-sufficient in food and create a regional food market worth $1 trillion by 2030, if it could significantly improve farmers’ market access through roads

References: GMR 2017
 

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Transport corridors are the lifeline of refugees and vulnerable people in humanitarian crises, emergencies and disaster situations

References: GMR 2017
 

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Mobility is shaping the future of cities. In Africa, many cities are ill prepared for the expected increase in urban population. In Mumbai, 8 million passengers per day – more than the population of Bulgaria – access their jobs through urban rail

It is time to re-examine how we can ensure that mobility is safe, efficient, and green, while leaving no one behind. We have a shared global responsibility to ensure that the transport sector moves in the right direction.

References: GMR 2017, IGLUS, CSIS
 

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Cities around the world are opening car-free zones to pedestrians and bikers and trying to make bicycling safer, easier, and more popular. London is building 12 "cycle superhighways"—extra-wide lanes dedicated to bicycles. New York expects to have 1,800 miles of bike lanes by 2030.

 

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Cities are starting to digitize their public-transit systems and are trying new mobility-on-demand models. Helsinki, which already has good public transit, is developing an ambitious on-demand mobility program that aims to make personal cars unnecessary by 2025