Bus or lightrail - Concepts and chances for solving urban transport problems

The demographic change and the economic development in the public sector will lead to trouble for public transport in many regions of Germany. This will be added by the EU goals in urban environment as noise reduction, clean air or the adaptation to climate chance. Modern bus and light-rail concepts are basically able to deal successfully with these problems. Modern bus concepts are able to reach the same capacity as light-rail and have advantages in flexibility and the independence of track investment. But often they have less attractiveness, on trip customer information services in buses and at stops and operation performance. The main strengthness of rail-systems are their high rate of acceptance, comfort and their perception as a system. A better integration of settlement and transport planning and an integrated and broad mobility-interconnection are the main tasks for a sustainable future urban public transport.