The two gents discuss several things Jönköping, a fast-growing city in southern Sweden, has implemented to make bus travel the preferred modal choice.
So, what have they done?
Firstly, the people in charge offered a clear, long-term vision to improve everything to do with bus travel - targets were set, and a strategy to achieve their goal was introduced. Bus interiors were redesigned to reflect how people lived their lives.
They committed that all new buses should be fossil-free, service levels and routes were increased across the city, and more bus lanes and priority signalling were introduced.
Lastly, they considered the drivers - providing them with a state-of-the-art depot to improve their working environment and make the profession more attractive.
None of the ideas shown in the video (which you can watch here) can be described as ground-breaking, and nothing stands out in a 'wish I'd thought of that' kind of way, but the fact they've committed to and implemented, all of them has to be loudly applauded.
Unfortunately, it's all too common in the UK to see lovely, well designed new electric buses sitting in the same traffic as the cars they're intended to replace. The joined-up thinking required between operators and authorities is the exception rather than the rule.
NB. On the minus side, there's no mention of pricing structure, any introduction of apps to make the purchase cycle easier, nor any detail on the effect these measures have had on patronage. I guess the fact it's a promo video for Volvo explains that, but any inclusion of those points would have made for a more informative piece.
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