Meeting of the joint Transport and Urban Life Committee with the future eBRT Cities User group

The joint meeting of UITP’s Transport and Urban Life Committee and the Future eBRT Cities User Group brought members to Coimbra, Portugal for an innovative deep dive into how electric Bus Rapid Transit can reshape cities and enhance urban life. 

Hosted by Metro Mondego with the exceptional support of João Marrana and Mafalda Filipe, the gathering offered participants an exclusive opportunity to experience firsthand the city’s brand new Metrobus system, a pioneering example of electric BRT set to redefine sustainable mobility in the Coimbra region. 

The Committee’s session centred on the crucial relationship between mobility, urban regeneration and the activation of public spaces for vibrant, people-focused cities. Discussions drew on both local and international perspectives, showcasing how integrated transport planning can serve as a catalyst for spatial transformation. 

Participants heard from leading voices in the field, including renowned architect Joan Busquets, as well as Tiago Cardoso and Joana Figueiredo Fernandes from Comboios de Portugal. International case studies broadened the perspective, with insights from “MODUS’s” Damien Cataldi in Geneva, Patricia Irigaray from the city of Buenos Aires and “Transport for London’s” Alina Tuerk. Together, these examples highlighted the diverse ways cities across the world are rethinking mobility through the lens of sustainability. 

The following day, both groups came together for a joint workshop moderated by Raphaël René Bazin and Eduardo González López, Chairs of their respective committees. The session explored the challenges and opportunities of bus prioritisation, particularly in compact, spatially constrained urban environments. Discussions underscored that successful transformation depends not only on infrastructure, but on long term political commitment, community engagement and cross sector flexibility. As participants agreed, the key lies not in how much space a city has, but in how that space is shared and prioritised to serve sustainable mobility. 

A major highlight of the meeting was the technical visit to the new Metrobus system. Stretching 42 kilometres, this fully electric BRT line runs on dedicated lanes connecting Coimbra with its surrounding region. Participants visited the Operations Control Centre, where they could witness the system’s traffic light and intersection management technology in action. The control system ensures traffic signal priority in urban areas and enables the use of a single dedicated lane in suburban sections with automatic crossing priority. By integrating with other transport modes and maintaining a high service frequency in the city centre, the Metrobus is poised to dramatically improve Coimbra’s urban mobility landscape, setting a model for electric BRT implementation across Europe. 

To conclude the programme, the Transport and Urban Life Committee travelled to Lisbon to explore the city’s metro extension project with Metropolitano de Lisboa, guided by Marta Araújo Laborinho. Meanwhile, the Future eBRT Cities User Group continued discussions on emerging BRT systems under development, focusing particularly on accessibility and fare evasion control as key components of next generation eBRT design. 

The Coimbra meeting emphasized how innovation in electric Bus Rapid Transit can extend far beyond transport, acting as a driver for urban regeneration, social inclusion and environmental progress. As UITP’s committees continue their work, Coimbra’s Metrobus now stands as a living example of how visionary planning and collaboration can turn sustainable mobility into a transformative urban reality.