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Our history
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From
the Secretary General's Desk |
Dear UITP members,
We are proud to inform you that you are a member of an association with a long tradition and a bright future, as UITP is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year!
From an association gathering together tramway and light rail administrators, UITP has progressively grown to become THE worldwide association representing all modes of public transport as well as collective transport in a broader sense.
Since the outset UITP has been international in outlook with our forefathers being aware of the international dimension of their sector. Over time this aspect of our association has gone from strength to strength - today we represent over 2,700 mobility actors from more than 80 countries on all continents.
Our long history gives us a unique perspective for developing a vision for the future, and for constantly developing creative and innovative new solutions for our fast-moving sector.
We would not be able to celebrate 120 years of successful existence were it not for the direct involvement of UITP members for well over a century. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being part of a long lineage of committed members dedicated to the public transport sector, and for making UITP the dynamic association that it is today.
Best regards.
Hans Rat |
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The International Association of Public Transport turns 120! |
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ON 17 August 1885, fifty representatives of the principal European tramways operators came together in Brussels and decided to found the first international organisation for tramways and light railway companies.
A few weeks before, on 1 August 1885, Gustave Michelet of Brussels Tramways and Joseph Fisher-Dick of Berliner Tramways sent an invitation to European colleagues suggesting to meet in Brussels, as the Belgian capital occupied a commanding position in the tramway industry. The letter started as follows:
“Tramway and light railway companies are part of the same industry but have very few relations with one another. Many administrative and technical questions have been dealt with in very different ways by the different companies, without different companies, without the expected results. The need for engineers and specialists to learn from the experience of colleagues is of the highest interest to all tramways administrations.”
The first international platform for the public transport sector was born. At a pivotal period, it had technical, economic and social objectives:
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Horse traction was more and more perceived as uneconomic and incapable of facing the increasing transport demands, and mechanical tractions needed to be developed quickly; |
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The industrial revolution had created new transport needs. For high productivity but also good working conditions, authorities wanted to facilitate workers' journeys to factories. |
Although UITP was created as an association of operators, a special class of members drawn from vehicle manufacturers, engineering firms and contractors was a valued part of UITP from the earliest days. In addition, individual engineers and transport journalists also had a place in the association from the outset. Over the years UITP has adapted its structure to become more inclusive of all sectors, deepening the dialogue between industry, operators and authorities and allowing all mobility actors to work together in a spirit of partnership within the association.
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UITP goes worldwide |
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| SINCE the foundation of the association, UITP has come a long way with over 2,700 members in more than 80 countries
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| The first symposium on public transport in African cities in 1978. |
ONE of the turning points in UITP's development was the 1949 motion declaring membership open to public transport undertakings of the whole world. Representation from the United States (New York) began in 1949; the Soviet Union (Moscow) joined in 1967; the fi rst Japanese member (Tokyo) came in 1961; the fi rst Australian (Melbourne) in 1957; India (Bombay) in 1961 and Latin America (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) in 1963. Starting with the Tel Aviv Congress of 1965, World Congresses and Exhibitions started to be organised outside Europe.
Multicultural; multilingual
ANOTHER element of the internationalisation is the expansion of our official languages. Starting with French and German on the foundation, English was formally adopted as the third official language in 1937. The addition of our fourth offcial language, Spanish, dates back to 2003 with the creation of the Latin American Division.
Regional Divisions and offices
WHILE UITP's main office has always been located in Brussels, Belgium, one of the best achievements of the association and its members in recent years is the creation of six regional divisions worldwide and seven regional and liaison offices.
Europe
RECOGNISING the growing influence of European Community law
on the activities of its European members, UITP decided in 1965 to set up a specific committee, the Action Committee for Public Transport in the European Communities, which was later renamed the European Union Committee. This Committee has its own secretariat, called EuroTeam, established in 1991. The Eurasian Committee – with an office in Moscow – was created in 2002 to consider public transport issues of common interest related to the transitional nature of the national economies in the region. Since 2000 UITP also has had a liaison office in Rome, Italy.
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The European Division also includes the European Integration Committee launched in 2001 to prepare UITP members from new EU Member States and potential accession candidate countries for integration into the EU. |
Latin America
FORMED at the 2003 UITP World Congress in Madrid, Spain, the Latin American Division was created in cooperation with the Brazilian Public Transport Association (ANTP) and with the support of the Association of Latin American Metros (ALAMYS). Our Latin American Division office was formally opened in January this year at ANTP's premises in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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The first Latin American seminar in Buenos Aires in 2003. |
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North America
UITP has a history of working closely with the two principal public transport associations in North America, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), and signed collaboration agreements with both associations.
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Signature of the Toronto Protocol between UITP, APTA and CUTA in 1999. |
Africa
 CREATED in 2002 in Lomé, Togo, the African Association of Public Transport (UATP) – which is also UITP's African Division - aims to provide public transport in Africa with fresh impetus and to promote its regulation and coordination. An African regional offce was set up in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, in 2002.
Middle East and North Africa
THE latest regional Division to be born is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Division created at our World Congress in Rome earlier this year. The MENA Division is establishing its regional office in Dubai.
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MENA delegates at the Rome Congress in June |
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Asia-Pacific
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The first Asia-Pacifi c Congress was organised in Hong Kong in 1998 |
UITP first established the Asia-Pacific Division as a Committee during its Congress in Sydney, Australia in May 1993. Located in Hong Kong, the office for this region was set up in 1997.In 1999, following the amalgamation of the Australian City Transit Association (established 1953) and UITP, offices in Canberra, Australia were also inaugurated to better address the concerns of members in Australia and New Zealand. |
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120 years of leadership: UITP Presidents |
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From tram operators to ALL mobility players |
1885
UITP was created back in 1885 with a clear focus: to represent tramway and light rail operators, and to examine technical, economic and social themes affecting this sector.
The inter-war period
 Modes: Between the two World Wars the motor bus began to dominate public transport operations. In 1922 UITP therefore offcially broadened its modal interest to cover ‘public automobile transport'.
The 1950s
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| A working group on traffic congestion was also created in the mid-50s, publishing a brochure entitled ‘It's high time…to put an end to traffic congestion |
ADJUSTING to its ever-expanding view of public transport, UITP adapted its structure to create permanent subject-specific Commissions in the mid-1950s.
Modes: One of the first Commissions, set up in 1956, examined all modes of Regional Transport. The Metropolitan Railways Commission was established the following year as a professional forum for metropolitan railway operators.
Themes: 1956 also saw the introduction of the Traffic and Urban Planning Commission, which would later change its name to Transport and Urban Life. Its objectives included promoting better coordination between land use and mobility policies. In 1959 a Commission dealing with the topic of Automation was established to discuss issues related to the development and use of new technologies in public transport. This Commission was later renamed the Information Technology and Innovation Commission.
The 1960s and 1970s
Modes: Although UITP had represented buses and light rail since the early days, it officially established a Motor Bus Commission in 1960 and a Light Rail Transport Commission in 1978.
Themes: With issues pertaining to the economics of urban transport, such as efficiency and funding, becoming of increasing importance, UITP established its Transport Economics Committee in 1964.
The 1990s
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The Waterborne Transport Committee was founded to increase awareness of all public transport actors on waterborne specific matters |
Modes:This decade marked the introduction of a new mode of public transport into the UITP family, with the Waterborne Transport Committee being founded in 1994.
Themes: The 1990s saw a flurry of development at UITP with an impressive range of ‘soft' topics being integrated into the organisation's structure:
• Human Resources Commission: Recognising that staff is the motor of public transport companies, this commission was established in 1995 to deal with all issues related to the management of human resources.
• Corporate Management Commission: In 1999 UITP created this body in response to the increasing importance of issues such as organisation and service management, in addition to traditional fleet operation.
• Commission on Marketing and Product Development: This dynamic and interactive commission was also set up in 1999, a step that augured the importance of marketing issues to the future success of public transport.
The new millennium
Modes: A Regional and Suburban Rail Division was established in 2000 to examine all topics related to the planning, financing, construction, operation and management of regional and suburban railways. A few years later, in 2003, the trolleybus made a come-back in UITP!
Themes: A whole series of hot topics were also addressed by the association in the early years of the new millennium:
• Sustainable Development Working Group: Now a commission, it was formed in 2002 to raise awareness on public transport's positive contribution to sustainable development.
• Diversity Working Group: Born in 2002 to recognize and value differences in age, gender, culture and competence within the public transport profession.
• Design and Culture Working Group: Also set up in 2002, this working group examines the role of design in enhancing the journey experience.
• Security Group: In 2004 UITP established this permanent group with the objective of outlining common strategies and defining security measures to better protect passengers and public transport systems.
New players: The Car-Sharing Platform, set up this year, and the development of contacts with the taxi sector reflects UITP’s growing interest in collective mobility in the broadest sense. |
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Reaching the world's decision makers |
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AFTER World War II, UITP gradually moved from a strongly technical focus to also deal more and more with political issues, taking on an international and regional advocacy role in support and on behalf of the collective mobility sector.
To strengthen its influence on the formation of policies, UITP began taking part in the affairs of supra-national bodies in the 1960s, such as the European institutions, the United Nations and the World Bank. Today UITP is actively engaged with these institutions, participating in international dialogue on issues such as sustainable development, climate change and poverty reduction.
Since 2000 UITP has also become increasingly active in communicating its positions and recommendations to decision makers worldwide and to the international media. |
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UITP: developing tomorrow's solutions |
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SINCE its inception, UITP has always been a forward-looking association, striving to anticipate needs and develop future solutions for the sector.
In 1975 UITP set up a working body to examine the future perspectives for public transport, and published its findings in a landmark report. Then in 1985, the general theme of UITP's centenary Congress was a look forward to the year 2000.
In 2003, UITP created an international and multidisciplinary Steering Committee charged with identifying future societal megatrends in order to deliver the necessary strategic actions for the sector. This Committee's report ‘Public transport in 2020: from vision to action' was launched at the 56th UITP World Congress in Rome this year.
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Thanks to its
long expertise,
UITP will continue
to play a key role in promoting better mobility worldwide until its
135th anniversary
and beyond... |
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Vision for UITP in 2020
‘IN 2020, UITP will unite the majority of public transport actors worldwide, be they organising authorities, operators, suppliers of equipment, systems and services, infrastructure managers, or academics.
Decision makers will regard UITP as the point of reference for local and regional transport and will work together to improve the framework for developing better urban mobility.
UITP will help its members to add value to their daily business, to experiment, innovate and evolve, as well as to reinforce the dialogue with their own stakeholders.
Against this backdrop, UITP takes the lead in addressing themes that do or will have a major impact on the affairs of members and in promoting innovations which will help the advance of the public transport sector.' |
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World Congresses and Exhibitions |
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Major milestones along the road of UITP's advance
THE newly-born organisation held its very fi rst Congress in Berlin in 1886. Berlin led the way to 55 other Congresses up to today, bringing together all public transport actors and mobility experts every two years.
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The Brussels Congress
in 1922 and the Rome Congress in 2005.
From the very beginning, the organisation and success of UITP Congresses relied fully on the active contributions from all members. |
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The birth and growth of the exhibition
UITP fi rst started to organise exhibitions in the 1960s, and, starting with the 1971 Congress in Rome, has always held an exhibition in conjunction with the Congress. Since the 1970s the exhibition has rapidly developed to become the leading global business place for urban and regional passenger transport, with participation from all major rail integrators and bus manufacturers, leading component and technology fi rms, the service industry and other public transport players.
The Congress programme through the years
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The social programme
of the Congress is a
tradition that dates back
to the earliest years. |
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THE HIGH cost of horses' maintenance was one of the fi rst questions discussed at UITP's Congress in 1886. The themes of the Congresses have obviously evolved with the developments of the public transport sector, but they have always tackled the ‘hot' issues of the time – technical, commercial or operational – from an international perspective.
At the beginning of the 20th century, today's current issues were already on the agenda, such as town-planning in relation to tramway lines and a proposal for uniformity in the compilation of statistics, as discussed in Brussels in 1910.
The 1920s brought reports on the one-man operation of tram-cars, motor bus services, and the link between transport and city planning.
The topic of private transport – motor cars – was introduced for the first time at the Warsaw Congress in 1930.
From the post-war period the themes of the Congresses ranged from electric power transmission and fundamental subjects like economics and rolling stock design to traffic congestion – a hot issue already in 1955. Issues on the programme in the 1970s included marketing, environment, the energy crisis in 1975 and public authorities' participation in transport costs. The transport situation in Latin America, India, Africa and Hong Kong was at the heart of the debates at the Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1983.
In the last decade, debates have expanded from the quality of service for passengers to making public transport attractive by using future technologies and the major role of the sector for an urban and congestion-free 21st century.
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As UITP grew in stature the host countries of the Congresses came to acknowledge its importance. The 50th anniversary of UITP was celebrated in 1935 in Brussels in the presence of King Leopold III. The President of the Club of Rome, Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan was a keynote speaker at the Rome Congress this year and demonstrated his commitment to the Rome Manifesto. |
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The UITP Congress:an international forum
A selection of UITP World Congress logos over the years |
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Milan
1889 |
Paris
1900 |
London
1902 |
Vienna
1904 |
Milan
1906 |
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Munich
1908 |
Brussels
1910 |
Oslo
1912 |
Brussels
1922 |
Paris
1924 |
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Barcelona
1926 |
Rome
1928 |
Warsaw
1930 |
The Hague
1932 |
Berlin
1934 |
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Paris
1959 |
Copenhagen
1961 |
Vienna
1963 |
Tel Aviv
1965 |
Barcelona
1967 |
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London
1969 |
Rome
1971 |
The Hague
1973 |
Nice
1975 |
Montreal
1977 |
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Helsinski
1979 |
Dublin
1981 |
Rio de Janeiro
1983 |
Brussels
1985 |
Budapest
1989 |
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Stockholm
1991 |
Sydney
1993 |
Paris
1995 |
Stuttgart
1997 |
Toronto
1999 |
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In 2009
the Congress and Exhibition will take place in Vienna. |
London
2001 |
Madrid
2003 |
Rome
2005 |
Helsinski
2007 |
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At the helm: UITP Secretary Generals |
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The reference for public transport |
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THE FIRST publication of the association was a ‘Bulletin' published in French and German in 1933-34 to keep members informed on the studies carried by the different commissions between each World Congress.
From 1938 to 1939 the Review of the International Union took over with a schedule of three issues per year. Interrupted during World War II, the Review started again in 1952. Further developments led to today's fl agship magazine, Public Transport International, which provides an international perspective on public transport six times a year in seven languages.
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UITP established library facilities in 1962. Today, these have evolved into a full-scale documentation centre. |
From the very beginning UITP sought to convince by rational arguments based on statistical data. For instance, a report published in 1979 with data from 600 cities and towns and 204 nations could be considered as the forerunner of the Millennium in Cities Database and the Mobility in Cities Database.
In 1997 UITP inaugurated its website paving the way to new online facilities such as the electronic library, Mobi+, launched in 1999, and our recently-created ‘Members only section'.
All this, plus many brochures, reports, information sheets and CD-ROMs make UITP a quality reference point on all mobility issues today. |
Happy birthday UITP! UITP staff celebrates on 17 August.
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