Latest news with #sustainableTransport
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Kearney and the World Economic Forum Outline Three Priorities for Advanced Air Mobility: Real-World Implementation, Cross-Sector Collaboration, and Early Drone Insights
Article content Advanced air mobility is evolving rapidly from concept to reality, promising to transform how people and goods move. More than 40 leading organizations unite under the AVIATE initiative to develop safe, sustainable, and equitable solutions. Lessons from early drone deployments offer valuable insights for scalable and responsible growth. Article content LONDON — Leading global consultancy Kearney, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, has today published a new report highlighting the rapid evolution of advanced air mobility (AAM) from concept to practical deployment. Expected to redefine transport and enable critical services such as infrastructure inspection, wildfire detection, and emergency response, the AAM market is projected to grow to nearly 80 billion dollars by 2034. 1 To ensure that this growth is responsible and aligned with societal needs, the AVIATE: Advanced Air Mobility initiative has united more than 40 leading organizations, including regulators, manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure providers, to collaboratively develop practical solutions that support safe, sustainable, and equitable AAM deployment worldwide. Article content Aligning on a north star for responsible growth Article content AAM's success depends on a shared vision focused on three pillars: safety and security, societal and environmental sustainability, and economic resilience. These pillars provide a framework to reduce risk, build public trust, and ensure long-term value. Embedding these principles from the outset helps lay a foundation for efficient implementation, social acceptance, and lasting impact. Article content Collaboration across the value chain Article content Progress requires coordination among diverse stakeholders. The complex AAM ecosystem demands actions that align regulations with operations, advance infrastructure, and support scalable business models. Stakeholders must balance their priorities with collective responsibility to keep safety, sustainability, and economic viability central. Article content Learning from pioneering drone deployments Article content Early drone projects such as India's Medicine from the Sky program, which delivers medical supplies up to 10 times faster than traditional transport, provided a valuable lesson for the broader AAM industry. Article content 2 Article content These initiatives highlight the importance of early stakeholder engagement, scalable and financially sustainable deployment models, and building social acceptance through tangible community benefits and local partnerships. They also reveal practical challenges such as integrating with existing airspace regulations and developing necessary infrastructure. Drawing on these experiences can help the AAM sector anticipate hurdles and adopt collaborative strategies for responsible, scalable growth. Article content AAM's expanding role and future challenges Article content Beyond drones, larger AAM aircraft hold promise across healthcare, logistics, urban mobility, and emergency services. However, challenges such as high capital expenditure, maintenance complexity, and the need for deeper multimodal integration remain. Overcoming these will require sustained investment, regulatory clarity, and ongoing cross-sector collaboration. Article content Javier González, partner, Kearney; co-founder of the Kearney Advanced Mobility Institute, said: Article content 'Advanced air mobility represents a transformative opportunity, but one that must be developed with care. As the industry moves from promise to practice, we must prioritize safety, sustainability, and societal benefit from the outset. The early success of drone deployments gives us a valuable blueprint. Now is the time to apply those lessons at scale and collaborate across sectors to shape an AAM ecosystem that delivers long-term value.' Article content Arunima Sarkar, head of Frontier Technologies, World Economic Forum, said: Article content 'To realize the full potential of advanced air mobility, we must ensure the right frameworks are in place from the beginning. This means enabling alignment and cooperation across countries, sectors, and communities to build ecosystems that are not only innovative but also inclusive and resilient. AVIATE demonstrates how a common vision and multistakeholder collaboration can lay the groundwork for progress that benefits all.' Article content The full report is available to view here: Notes 1 Prophecy Market Insights. (2024, June). Global forecast report on advanced air mobility market, 2024–2034. 2 Torkington, S. (2024, October 8). How medicines 'dropping from the sky' are transforming healthcare in India. World Economic Forum. About Kearney Since 1926, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Press contact Article content Article content Tom Stewart-Walvin Article content Article content Article content
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Best Bike-Friendly Trains In Europe - Belgian And Swiss Top Rankings
A new report evaluated the bicycle friendliness of 67 long-distance train operators across Europe. Belgian and Swiss national railways, followed by MÁV-START in Hungary, are the most cycle-friendly train companies in Europe. Each garnered an 'excellent' 18 companies, including Deutsche Bahn in Germany, ÖBB in Austria, the NS in the Netherlands, PKP Intercity in Poland, and the SNCF in France, were ranked 'good.' Snälltåget (Sweden) was rated 'very poor.' Those are a few highlights of a new report that evaluated and ranked 67 long-distance train companies in Europe for the quality of infrastructure and services they provide to make bicycle-friendly travel a reality for more cyclists across the continent. 'Cyclists Love Trains 2025: An analysis of the bicycle friendliness of European railway operators,' was released on Tuesday by the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), a Brussels-based nonprofit umbrella group with more than 70 member organizations in over 40 countries. For leisure travelers planning to enjoy Europe's cities and countryside from the seat of a bicycle in combination with rail journeys, and for local commuters who use both modes of transport to get to and from work, the ease of combined bike-and-train travel is important, according to the ECF, which advocates to improve cycling and promote it as a sustainable, healthy and cost-effective way to get around. Companies received one of five overall ratings, from the top 'excellent' to 'very poor,' based on six criteria: number of dedicated bike storage or carriage spaces; ease of booking; cost of transport; access to information in a number of languages; functionality of website; and availability of bike sharing programs. In Belgium, NMBS/SNCB was cited for expanding its bike carriage capacity by 20% since 2021 and for developing the accessibility app BikeOnTrain. In Switzerland, SBB/CFF/FFS was noted for providing ample capacity for bicycle carriage, and for booking channels and website/ app functionality. In 2023, the railway carried some 1.7 million bicycles on its entire train network. Hungary's MÁV-START 'particularly excels in providing generous bicycle carriage capacity on routes to popular tourist destinations. It also performs well on affordability and software functionality,' according to the updated report, first published in 2021. The second edition was released as Velo-city was set to begin in Gdansk, Poland. The annual cycling planning and promotion conference is co-organized by the ECF and a different city every year. Other key findings from the report: 'Despite these challenges,' the report noted, 'ECF is optimistic about the momentum towards greater bicycle-train integration.' The cycling group said that new wagon acquisitions by train operators since 2021 have largely incorporated bicycle-friendly features, and a new EU regulation on rail passengers' rights that became effective on June 7 2025, 'will establish a legal minimum for bicycle spaces on trains.' The ECF's recommends that train operators adopt the following measures to improve bicycle-carriage on trains: For more information about the European Cyclists' Federation, click here. To read the full report, click here.
Khaleej Times
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Blacklane Saudi expansion: Luxury Chauffeur service in four major cities launched
Blacklane, the global chauffeur service, has revealed expansion plans throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of its growth strategy. This announcement follows the momentum of Blacklane's scale-up across Dubai and marks a considerable step in its continued growth across the Middle East. Blacklane now has operations in more than 50 countries. Addressing the increasing demand for luxury and sustainable mobility services in the region, Blacklane will offer premium vehicles, with plans to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in a future phase to set a new benchmark for sustainable mobility across the kingdom. Plus, Blacklane's investment plans include the roll out of the Blacklane Chauffeur Academy providing professional training options to chauffeur partners in Saudi Arabia. First-class vehicles available on the Blacklane platform will include Blacklane's trademark black and white two-tone Mercedes S Class options. Dr Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder, Blacklane, said: 'Bringing our luxury chauffeur service to the Kingdom marks an exciting milestone in Blacklane's global expansion. Saudi is a key destination for sophisticated travellers and residents alike, and we're proud to introduce a new standard of reliable, high quality and seamless mobility to the region'. He continued: 'We are honoured that this expansion supports the goals of Vision 2030. We are committed to contributing significantly to the creation of new job opportunities across the Kingdom. We are dedicated to fostering local talent and supporting the continued growth of Saudi's thriving economic diversification'. Following the establishment of the Riyadh office, Blacklane has made several strategic appointments in the last few months as part of its expansion across the Kingdom. Led by general manager Adib Samara, this growing sales, marketing, operations and account management team is a critical component in the brand's expansion and investment across Saudi Arabia. Blacklane provides chauffeur services in Dammam, Jeddah, Makkah, and Riyadh. Presence across further cities in Saudi Arabia will be announced in the coming months.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Woodbridge not suitable for active travel plan, say residents
A £5m project aiming to encourage sustainable transport methods is not suitable for a market town, residents have claimed. Suffolk County Council was awarded funding from the government's Active Travel England scheme in 2022 to look at ways of making walking and cycling journeys easier in Woodbridge. Changes proposed include widening of some pavements and creating a one-way system for traffic toward Market HillA recent public consultation saw 433 responses as the council now looks to review the plans over the next year but some residents said the consultations were handled "poorly". Chris Mapey runs the Angel pub, just off Market Hill and said while on the face of it the project was a "cracking idea", he was believed it was for the wrong town."The problem we've got with any small market town is it's a fine balancing act - we want to try and preserve the town as much as we can but we also want to have decent levels of footfall," he said."If you make Woodbridge too closed off, we're right on the doorstep of Martlesham [Retail Park]... so you end up losing, conceivably, a lot of footfall."It's been very frustrating for business owners to know where to turn." Woodbridge resident Neil Armstrong Boast similarly felt the council's consultation was "poor"."They hid road closures by the use of buzzwords and people lost faith when at the public meeting held in the community hall, the councillors wouldn't state what their preference was," he residents have spoken in favour of road and pavement improvements but some feared the project would negatively affect those who rely on cars and buses. "Wider pavements are a lovely idea but at what cost to free and efficient movement around the town for the less mobile," fellow resident Alison Parish said."I envisage that this will create more traffic hold-ups, longer journeys - time wise and distance - and people will avoid going into the town to shop and socialise." Ruth Leach, Lib Dem county councillor for Woodbridge, said she initially believed the project would be difficult to implement but felt progress had been made."The project has changed shape from what was initially proposed but I am very confident that we are getting closer to something that is going to perfect for Woodbridge," she said."With a budget of £5m I am very keen to work tirelessly on it to make sure it is something that stays in Woodbridge and we can benefit from it."She stressed the project did not seek to remove cars from Woodbridge. A spokesperson for the county council said the project aimed to give people better choice in how they travel for local, shorter journeys and the level of response for the consultation process had been "higher than expected".They said people had been provided options to fill either an online or paper survey and there had been drop-in events during both weekdays and weekends to "maximise people's ability to attend", while local businesses and key stakeholders had been engaged with to "ensure that all voices" were heard. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Railways Announces Full Operational Readiness of Mashaer Train for Hajj
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) announced the full operational readiness of the Mashaer Metro Train for this year's Hajj starting Tuesday. SAR completed its preparations in coordination with various relevant entities. Comprehensive operational preparation included nearly 12,000 trial trips since January, in addition to four full-scale simulation exercises accurately replicating the conditions of the Hajj season to test the readiness of systems, trains, and stations and ensure safe and efficient operations. The Mashaer Metro Train operates on five service patterns tailored to the different Hajj rituals, making it a unique transport system globally. During the Hajj, the train is scheduled to carry out more than 2,000 trips, aiming to transport over two million passengers with high efficiency and precise organization. SAR conducted extensive maintenance and rigorous testing on all facilities and stations of the project to ensure their readiness and compliance with safety and quality standards. The train connects nine stations across the holy sites of Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina, with the final station in Mina located on the fourth level of the Jamarat Bridge, ensuring the smooth movement and safety of pilgrims. The Mashaer Metro Train is one of the region's most significant sustainable transport projects. It operates a fleet of 17 trains, each with a capacity of 3,000 passengers, enabling a total transport capacity exceeding 72,000 passengers per hour. This helps reduce congestion in the holy sites, lower carbon emissions, and provide a smart, safe, and environmentally friendly travel experience. The operation of the train reflects SAR's commitment to supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by enabling a reliable, efficient, and sustainable transport experience for pilgrims, showcasing the Kingdom's advanced infrastructure and improving the quality of services.
