In this Mobility Redefined bonus episode, recorded live at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Hamburg 2025, four public transport leaders share their experiences in advancing sustainability within their cities. Hosted by Dr Kaan Yildizgöz, the discussion moves beyond environmental concerns to cover funding resilience, workforce transformation, and inclusive mobility.
Panellists:
Dalene Campbell, Executive Director, City of Cape Town, South Africa
Vesa Silfver, Executive Director, HSL Helsinki, Finland
Tom Page, General Manager of DLR, Transport for London, UK
Ulf Middelberg, CEO, LVB, Germany
Host: Dr Kaan Yildizgoz
Key themes explored include post-COVID ridership recovery, lifecycle cost planning, the role of people in sustainable transitions, and the careful balance between automation and employment. This is essential listening for public transport leaders seeking pragmatic strategies to build greener, more resilient urban mobility systems.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:58 Setting the Stage: Sustainability in Mobility
02:01 Panellist Introductions
02:54 Shared Mobility and Electric Buses
06:03 Decarbonisation Efforts in London
08:13 People and Sustainability
13:51 Workforce vs. Automation
19:36 Post-COVID Ridership and Trust
24:46 Funding and Financial Sustainability
33:32 Transitioning Informal Transport to Organised Systems
38:21 Conclusion and Closing Remarks
Connect with Us:
Website: https://mobilityredefined.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mobility-redefined/
Mobility Redefined is brought to you by Modaxo https://www.modaxo.com
Producer: Mike Cartmel
Executive Producer: Darren Turpin
Special thanks to:
Brand design: Tina Olagundoye
Digital Media: Belén Iturrioz Campo
Marketing content and Mobility Redefined newsletter: Mike Cartmel
If you have a question or comment, email us at mike.cartmel@modaxo.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent (“Modaxo”). This production belongs to Modaxo, and may contain information that may be subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information, and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.
Transcript
Setting the Stage: Sustainability in Mobility
[:[:[:[:Panelist Introductions
[:[:[:[:Shared Mobility and Electric Buses
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Decarbonisation Efforts in London
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:People and Sustainability
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:It's not always easy, but it [:So people don't put their sorrow and their fear in front of innovation, but try to work with it in a secured area. So that's always step by step on the one hand side and in the innovation islands with much more speed. If it comes to ai, we have some experts if it comes to coding, we have some experts and we have less experts because they are coding with ai.
So that's speed. And we try to work with our workers' councils as well, just as cooperative as we can.
Workforce vs. Automation
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Post-COVID Ridership and Trust
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Funding and Financial Sustainability
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Uh.
if you look at the network as its whole Tram and bus Network, it, we started with, 75%, but we're right down below 50 because we have this huge pricing decrease in the Deutsche Land ticket, a flat rate ticket, which is very cheap. And we, of course,we, got subsidies for it, but it changed our ratio.
Significantly. And if it comes to me, a customer, are people paying for quality and services and we are reduced to focusing on people who have no alternative. That's a social part of our job. But if you are due to.convince people with good quality. We have to talk about customers. It's not all social security, but it's attractive and good services.
d a market share higher than [:[:[:Okay, but that's not the revenue side of funding, but it's the cost side where we do a lot about productivity and efficiency, and we learn so much from other cities in. In, Saxony and,in these days we're working on a training program for driver's efficiency save and energy.
And we're buying the software together. We're developing the training programs together with different cities. So that's, efficient.
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Transitioning Informal Transport to Organized Systems
[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:[:Conclusion and Closing Remarks
[:[:[:[:
Thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much.
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