World Public Transport Day
What is World Public Transport Day?
World Public Transport Day is a brand new initiative launching on 17 April 2026 and marked every year on the same day. Brought to you by UITP and our partners across the world, it is a global celebration of the critical role public transport plays in our everyday lives, the success of our towns and cities, our economic prosperity and sustainable development.
The day is designed to celebrate the everyday journeys and extraordinary destinations. The morning conversations on the bus. The late-night train home. The quiet moments to read, watch, listen. The busy ones to get you to and from work. The freedoms and connections public transport makes possible.
Because public transport isn’t just about getting around. It’s about getting on – with work, with life, with each other. It helps people access jobs, education and opportunities. It cuts carbon and connects communities. Helps to create healthier cities and healthier people. Brings freedom, independence, routine, and a sense of place. And it does all this all day, every day – all powered by people.
World Public Transport Day is a chance to shine a light on what public transport makes possible and to celebrate the journeys – shared and solo – that bring us together.
It’s one day and millions of journeys. A day to say – we love public transport, it moves us all.
How Can We Get Involved?
World Public Transport Day is a global celebration, brought to life through local action. Around the world, members and partners will be marking the day with their own activities – from sharing stories online to hosting events in stations, schools, and communities.
To make it easy to join in, we’ll provide a full visual identity and communications pack, including posters, templates, and social media content. We’ll also provide a range of ideas for activities you could run, from ready-to-use social posts to city-wide events, but we’d love to see your own ideas, too. World Public Transport Day is a global day for everyone, so every action – big or small – will add to the celebration.
A campaign website and manifesto video will also launch soon. Giving you everything you need to celebrate public transport in your city or region, and share the message with the world.
Save the date – 17 April 2026 – and get ready to celebrate public transport all around the world!
Register your interest in taking part by filling in this form by 1 December 2025. We’d love to hear if you’re interested in taking part even if you’re not sure how yet!
Raise awareness among the global general public and opinion leaders about the value and benefits of public transport: social, environmental, economic.
Using compelling narratives and evidence/data to help opinion leaders and decision-makers to make the case for more and better public transport for their citizens
Create an annual global opportunity to spotlight and discuss public transport, with local celebrations in cities, regions or countries, as well as an opportunity for global collaboration and connection.
As simple as sharing the manifesto film on your channels with our ready-to-use caption.
Let’s get more involved. Mix the ready-to-use social posts with calls for user-generated content to celebrate public transport where you are.
Step up further by adding influencer engagement and paid-for ad placements – such as billboards/posters/print-outs, on vehicles and Public Transport stations and stops and outreach to press.
Really bring the celebration to life with pop-up events and activities. Why not take it even further with a festival of public transport?
A strong, unifying brand for World Public Transport Day, including logos, templates, and usage guidelines, adaptable to multiple languages and regions.
The designed assetsand templates in this Pack gives you everything you need to celebrate public transport in your city and share the message with the world. This includes:
- Social media graphics, ready for Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
- Facts and figures graphics, with editable text for your own facts and figures
- Templates in various ratios, eg, 1:1, 3:4; 1920 x 1080 for you to make your own assets
- School activity pack: A starter pack of activities and a template for you to create your own
- Email signatures
- Animated film ident
Guidance on OOH, eg. Billboards, posters, in-vehicle items (such as swing cards), small items (stickers, badges, bookmarks, etc.). Ready for you to create print- and digital-ready-artwork at various formats and scales, ready for your events and advertising.
Sample copy for you to use including a PR package (sample press release, newsworthy angles, notes to the editors, press FAQ), social media caption suggestions, interesting facts for PR and social media, and sample newsletter copy.
Practical dos and don’ts – including tone of voice guidance and writing tips; tailoring messages to different audiences; incorporating local stories in a global campaign; and key messages framed around universal benefits of public transport, such as clean air, inclusive mobility, urban vibrancy, and climate action.
A multi-channel media and digital communications programme to build anticipation, visibility, and conversation leading up to, and then including,17 April 2026. This will include:
- Social media mobilisation: A globally coordinated social
media plan to celebrate World Public Transport Day with
scheduled campaign phases, hashtags (e.g. make sure to
tag #WorldPublicTransportDay so everything is collected in
one place), and visual storytelling.
- Advocacy campaign: An overall strategic approach to
campaigning and lobbying to address the challenges faced
by users of public transport. If your country or region welcomes public lobbying of officials around causes like better public transport, use this as a starting point to build your campaign.
- Media outreach: Recommended partner press campaigns
targeting transport, urban planning, environmental, and general interest media outlets.
- Influencer engagement: Partnerships with public figures,
activists, and content creators who champion sustainable mobility.
A standalone campaign website will be launched shortly and will allow open access to downloadable materials and toolkits, there will also be a member zone reporting interface, where you can submit summaries, images, and metrics of your local activities.
Next steps
- 1 December: Tell us your intention to take part in the celebration by 1 December through this survey.
- 15 December: A full communications toolkit will be made public which will include the visual identity, logo, all the templates and visual assets needed to implement the campaign.
- 17 April: The first annual World Public Transport Day!
