How many Europeans use public transport in major cities?

Four in five Europeans living in major cities use public transport daily, a new survey has shown.

However, public transport is only the first choice for about 40 per cent of them, according to the findings of a survey presented at the 2024 European Mobility Expo.

The survey included more than 2,500 inhabitants of Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm and Warsaw in 2024.

Paris is the city with the highest number of people using public transport with 86 per cent of the city’s inhabitants using it. They most often used the metro, which is one of the most dense underground networks in the world.

The survey found, however, that more than half of Warsaw and Madrid residents also use their cars. 

One factor that influences the use of cars could be the availability of public transport. Just 44 per cent of people in Warsaw live less than five minutes away from a public transport stop.

Marie-Ange Debon, head of the French Union of Public and Rail Transport and CEO of the Keolis Group, told Euronews Next that the survey results were in line with what they see on the ground. 

“Drivers abandon the car to take public transport when there’s an adequate [transportation] offer,” Debon said.

“This means having transport nearby, less than 15 minutes away, that will take you to where you’re going, that’s safe, that’s reliable, with good quality passenger information”.

Shifting to more sustainable options

One of the survey’s findings may seem counter-intuitive: cars are often picked for the shortest journeys.

On average among the cities, 36 per cent of survey respondents use cars to go fewer than 15 minutes away. 

“Transport in general accounts for 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, and of that 30 per cent, public transport accounts for 1 per cent,” Debon said.

Experts acknowledge that cars will probably remain prevalent in rural areas however methods exist to reduce their use. 

Debon gave examples of on-demand transport, carpooling, and an electric busway system.

She added that it is essential to combine different types of available travel options.

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“You can’t develop a territory if you don’t infuse it with means of transport,” she concluded.