Expanded Public Transport Glossary: Terms and Organizations at a Glance

Die UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics), founded in 1885, is the largest international network for professionals in public transportation. It is the only global organization that brings together all stakeholders and modes of public transport. With over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries, it includes public transport authorities, operators, policymakers, research institutions, as well as suppliers and service providers in the public transport sector.

UITP sees itself as the ‘global advocate for public transport’ and a ‘passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility’. The association promotes innovations across all public transport modes: buses, subways, commuter trains, regional trains, and waterborne transport. By supporting the entire sector, UITP continuously works towards enhancing the quality of life and economic prosperity in urban areas worldwide.

Since 2021, TRONTEQ is a proud member of UITP, aiming to get closer to public transport customers and users to gain a deeper understanding of public transport use cases and improve its IP networking solutions based on Ethernet technology.

For more information about UITP, visit uitp.org.

The Organization ITxPT (Information Technology for Public Transport) was established in 2013 and emerged from the European Bus System for the Future (EBSF) project. ITxPT operates internationally as an independent nonprofit association with a strong connection to UITP, as the latter is among its founding members.

ITxPT’s main goal is to develop an open IT architecture for public transport and other mobility services based on standards and best practices. The primary advantage of implementing the ITxPT standard is interoperability, enabling seamless integration of systems and devices from different providers. The ITxPT architecture allows for a gradual expansion of system functionalities, fostering competitiveness among IT suppliers and manufacturers in the industry by offering standardized products and services. Increasingly, ITxPT compliance is being cited as a criterion for public tenders in the public transport sector.

Since 2019, TRONTEQ has been a Principal Member of ITxPT and actively participates in ITxPT working groups. TRONTEQ provides fully standardized M12 Ethernet switches capable of connecting any modern on-board IP system.

For further information about ITxPT, visit itxpt.org.

The Association of European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA) was founded in 1998 to create a platform for exchange among the responsible authorities for urban transport in the most important European cities. Currently, EMTA consists of 31 authorities from 19 European countries. As a nonprofit organization, its main purpose is to support authorities responsible for public transport as decision-making bodies in infrastructure policy matters, as well as in sustainable and intelligent mobility.

Members include public transport authorities from most major European cities, from Manchester to Thessaloniki, from Lisbon to Helsinki.

For more information about EMTA, visit emta.com.

The Association of German Transport Companies (Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen, VDV) is the industry association for public transport, representing over 630 companies involved in public passenger transport (ÖPV) and rail freight transport. Originally founded in 1949 as the Association of Public Transport Companies (VÖV), this Cologne-based organization has a long history. Approximately 500 volunteer experts from various fields are engaged in six general and 20 specialist committees, focusing on planning, legal matters, economics, marketing and communication, personnel management, pricing and sales, as well as technical issues related to public passenger transport. The association’s activities are complemented by the VDV Academy, which nurtures future leadership for public passenger and rail freight transport.

For more information about the VDV, please visit vdv.de.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association comprised of over 1,500 organizations from the public and private sectors. The APTA, as we know it today, was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.

APTA is the sole association in North America that represents all forms of public transportation, including buses, paratransit, commuter rail, subways, light rail, ferry services, as well as intercity and high-speed trains. APTA deals with all aspects of the industry: transportation systems, vehicles, equipment, as well as traffic-related products and services.

TRONTEQ is a proud member of APTA.

For more information about APTA, please visit apta.com.

The French Group of Regional Authorities for Transportation (Groupement des Autorités Régionales du Transport, GART) was established in 1980, a time when, for most French citizens, the car was practically the only means of transportation available. Officials and technicians joined forces to fundamentally change public transportation policies by founding this association. To this day, GART continues advocating for the development of public transport and alternative modes of transportation to reduce reliance on cars.

For the association’s members, GART serves as a resource center, empowering them to play a more significant role as mobility providers. It provides a platform for exchange, best practices, innovations, and discussions to shape the mobility of the future. Lastly, GART acts as a voice for the authorities organizing mobility at the national and European levels, defending their interests against state institutions, the European Union, and the media.

For more information about GART, visit gart.org.