There is an oft-quoted line of Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogota, that “A good city is one where the rich use public transport, not where everyone aspires to own private transport”.

Over the past few years, cities are increasingly recognizing that improving public transport facilities is key to enhancing the quality of life of people in cities.

Overburdened roads have become a feature of cities, especially in the developing world. You see the same situation whether you are travelling in Manila or Dhaka.

Improving and expanding public transport is an important aspect of urban development.

Cities have become the vehicle of growth of most countries, and today we see an increasing population in urban centres. In 2014, 54% percent of the world’s population lived in cities, and this is predicted to increase to 66% by 2050.

In this scenario, city governments need to improve transport infrastructure and safety.