A Year of Voices, Vision, and Shared Purpose
When we launched Mobility Redefined, the goal was simple but ambitious: to bring together people shaping the future of public transport and urban mobility around the world.
Over the past year, that has taken many forms, including CEO roundtables, on-location interviews, and special video features. Our regular podcast series has been at its heart. Fourteen guests joined me to share their stories, challenges, and hopes for the future of mobility.
From Santiago to Stockholm, Dubai to Nairobi, they revealed a shared vision of cities moving towards cleaner, more connected, and more inclusive mobility.
And as I often remind myself, it is not just about vehicles and systems; it is about the people and values behind them.
Sustainability in Motion
Few themes united our guests more than sustainability, not simply as an environmental goal, but as a measure of progress and dignity in urban life.
In Santiago, Juan Carlos Muñoz, Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, described how his country’s vast electric bus fleet is transforming both the city’s air and its atmosphere. The shift, he said, is about “the silence, the comfort, the dignity of electric travel.”
That same sense of purpose drives Europe’s transition too. Roger Vahnberg of Västtrafik in Gothenburg recalled the patience needed to evolve from early hybrid trials to a 500-strong electric fleet. “Every stage was a learning process,” he said, for the industry and for passengers alike.
In Brussels, Brieuc de Meeùs at STIB sees electrification as a social investment. Cleaner air and quieter streets, he believes, make the city “more liveable for everyone.”
Together, these stories show that decarbonisation is not simply a technical milestone but a cultural shift, one that redefines how cities breathe, sound, and feel.
Governance and the Human Side of Mobility
Behind every transport system are people making it work. From Lagos to Madrid, our guests reminded us that good governance is not just about structures; it is about trust, empathy, and inclusion.
In Lagos, Abimbola Akinajo and her team at LAMATA are formalising informal transport, balancing the needs of operators with the expectations of a growing city. “You can’t reform mobility without bringing people with you,” she said, a principle echoed across Africa by Edwins Mukabanah in Nairobi, who is building partnerships between long-established bus companies and new public frameworks.
In Europe, governance often meets its test in moments of crisis. Marta Serrano Balbuena, then Spain’s Secretary General for Land Transport and now with RENFE, reflected on leading recovery efforts after devastating floods. For her, “transport is about service, but in times of crisis it becomes about solidarity.”
Whether restoring networks or rebuilding trust, each of these leaders sees mobility as a social contract, one that must serve people first.
You can’t reform mobility without bringing people with you.
Digital Transformation and the Role of Intelligence
Technology ran like a current through many of our conversations, not as an end in itself but as a tool to make mobility smarter and fairer.
Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe, spoke of an interconnected future built on automation, data, and cooperation. “We can’t digitalise for the sake of it,” he warned, reminding us that innovation must always serve the passenger.
That same thought was echoed by Mohamed Mezgani of UITP, who sees digitalisation as a way to enhance inclusion rather than replace it.
And stepping slightly outside the transport world, Swedish author and futurist Andreas Ekström brought the human dimension into sharp focus: “Every algorithm is an opinion.” His reminder that empathy and leadership remain irreplaceable resonated deeply.
Together, their insights suggest a future where intelligence and humanity work side by side, algorithms guided by values and data serving design that puts people first.
Vision 2030: The Middle East Leads the Leap
In the Middle East, change is happening at remarkable speed. Across the region, technology and ambition are transforming mobility into a source of pride and identity.
In Dubai, Adel Shakeri and his team at the RTA have turned a once-fragmented taxi market into a unified, data-driven network. With average pick-up times of less than four minutes, he said simply, “safety and customer satisfaction are our top priorities.”
Further west, Hammam Saab of Jeddah Transport Company is expanding public transport from land to sea, introducing buses, sea taxis, and on-demand shuttles in preparation for the 2034 World Cup. “We’re learning as we go,” he told me, describing a culture of experimentation and progress.
In Medina, Dr Mohammad Alghamdi, Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Transformation, is designing a bus rapid transit network to move millions of pilgrims sustainably. “Every visitor deserves a system that is efficient, clean, and human,” he said.
Together, these projects show how the region’s Vision 2030 is more than a development plan; it is a reinvention of how cities connect people and opportunity.
Policy, Integration, and the Passenger Experience
Across Europe, integration remains the hallmark of good governance. When systems align, travel becomes effortless, and behaviour begins to change.
In Germany, Anna-Theresa Korbutt, CEO of HVV Hamburg, described how the Deutschlandticket, a single affordable pass for travel nationwide, has transformed everyday habits. “It changed our culture overnight,” she said. People who once relied on cars now use public transport as a natural choice.
In Barcelona, Joan Bigas of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) highlighted the same principle on a regional scale: coordinated planning, investment, and technology ensuring that mobility remains a public right.
These initiatives show that policy can be powerful when it simplifies life for the passenger. Integration, in the end, is about more than infrastructure; it is about trust in a system that feels seamless and fair.
The Deutschlandticket changed our culture overnight.
Connecting the Global Dots
What became clear after a year of Mobility Redefined is that every city, regardless of size or region, faces the same underlying questions: how do we make mobility equitable and sustainable; how can data and technology serve people rather than the other way round; and how can public transport remain the backbone of vibrant, liveable cities?
Each of our fourteen guests offered different answers, but I found they all shared the same belief: mobility is the heartbeat of urban life. In the end, public transport is about connection — between people, between communities, and across humanity.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the second year of Mobility Redefined, we carry forward the insights of the past twelve months and the spirit of openness that defined every conversation. We will continue to explore, to listen, and to connect the dots between innovation, policy, and people because redefining mobility is not a destination. It is a journey we take together.