Fabián Andrés Varela, Commercial Office of Pro Ecuador in Korea

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN QUITO: toward

an efficient and citizen-oriented

Public Transportation

July 1st 2014

CONTENTS

Background and Purpose

Current Status and Issues

Improvement Strategy

Specific Action Plan

Expected Results

Background and Purpose

Quito formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador,

and at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,800 meters above sea level), it

is the highest official capital city in the world.)

Population:

Capital city: 1,619,146

Metropolitan District: 2,239,191

Foundation: December 6, 1534

Coordinates: 00°15′00″S 78°35′00″W

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1978).

Background

1. Private car ownership has increased.

2. The transportation sector has not

changed old practices toward an user-

oriented service

3. Bus drivers do not always stop at

defined bus stops. They partially held a

monopoly thinking the routes are

personal property

4. Bus operators compete for profitable

routes

5. Bus drivers put in risk citizens lives while

speeding up to take up more

passengers.

6. In Quito many of the traffic accidents are

caused by bus drivers.

Metropolitan District of Quito Population

225,600

354,746

599,828

866,472

1,094,318

2,239,191

1,464,970

0 20

0,0

00

40

0,0

00

60

0,0

00

80

0,0

00

1,0

00

,00

0

1,2

00

,00

0

1,4

00

,00

0

1,6

00

,00

0

1,8

00

,00

0

2,0

00

,00

0

2,2

00

,00

0

2,4

00

,00

0

1950

1962

1974

1982

1990

2000

2010

Quito has grown, transportation

has become perhaps its number

one problem. We have launched

an ambitious program of public

transportation that includes the

construction of the Metro.

The new metro is expected to be

operational by 2017.

Purpose

- Provide a passenger-oriented service.

- Ensure drivers service and passenger

safety.

- Decrease the number of traffic

accidents caused by bus operators.

- Provide accurate information for policy

and decision makers (reliable

information sources for future

improvements/planning).

Current Status and Issues

Implemented Strategies

The Integrate System includes:

1.Trolebus (three electric bus routes)

with an exclusive lane.

2. Some bus Lines "Feeders“ (but

most of the bus lines are still private).

3.Terminals and stops transfer of

backbone with prepaid system.

4.Centralized traffic light system.

Implemented Strategies

Challenges and Obstacles

• Passengers' dissatisfaction with the service quality.

• Bus operator’s overheated competition for profitable routes.

• Bus services not completely integrated within the transport

network.

• Buses and Trolebus getting more and more crowded.

• Buses do not have an preferential line contributing to the traffic

congestion which is a major problem in our capital.

• Limited access to outlying districts.

• Resistance from private operators.

• Lack of funding for public works transportation.

•There is no a unified distance-based face pricing system.

Improvement Strategy

Sustainable Transport Paradigm

Sustainable Transport

Human-oriented

Public transport oriented

Social inclusive

Energy efficient

How it can be done?

All at once not incremental Networking the municipal government, bus

operators, civil society and experts .

Target?

BUS REFORM

CITIZEN COMMITTEE

Semi-public operation (private don’t have to compete)

Reorganizing bus routes to reach rural and isolated

neighborhoods

Bus management System

Traffic Control System

Smart card

Specific Action Plan

Action plan

1. Define operational zones and bus companies/operators.

• Type of company and size.

• Bidding process for most profitable routes.

• Issuance of operating licenses.

2. Implementation of a dedicated bus lane system.

3. Establish an integrated transportation system.

(Trolley/Articulated bus + Metro + Common type of buses)

4. Apply a unified fare system based on distance. (use of

transport cards while discontinuing the use of cash).

• Provide discount rate for students, disable and elders.

5. Reach an agreement between actors for system’s operation

and management.

• Assessment of revenues and subsidies.

• Establishment of a committee for joint revenue

management.

Good initiatives to consider

1. No driving day program

• Tax incentives. Gas price. Insurance incentives.

2. Implementation of cameras on buses to identify plates of

illegally parked vehicles impeding traffic flow.

3. Consolidation of databases and information sharing

between government institutions (avoid unnecessary costs

and redundant data systems).

Expected Results

Expected results

Bus Management

System (CCTV, GPS, etc.)

Ensure drivers service and passenger

safety.

Decrease the number of traffic

accidents caused by bus operators.

Real time information to the public.

People can manage their time in a

better way.

Provide accurate information for policy

and decision makers (statistics for

future improvements).

ICTs in Public Transportation

Smart Card System:

Joint revenue management.

Transparent revenue

management.

Transfer discount (don’t have

to pay again if you change

bus within 30 minutes).

Application of distance-based

system.

Thank you !