The public transport system managed by Alba Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport (AIDA – PT) has experienced steady development over the last years. AIDA – PT, which joins together the local administrations of Alba Iulia municipality and 7 surrounding villages (Ciugud, Sântimbru, Întregalde, Galda de Jos, Cricău, Ighiu, and Mihalț) to manage the public transportation system, is one of the most important of the Public Transport Company of Alba Iulia (STP Alba), the private operator of the local public transport services.
Women who use the metropolitan transport system of Alba Iulia are much more receptive to the new trends and, at the same time, much more willing to give up conventional transport, based on personal cars, in favor of public transport. A recent survey, carried out by STP Alba and shared with the Alba Iulia TInnGO project team, indicated a balanced distribution of women and men in the use of public transport in the metropolitan area. However, beyond the quantitative aspect, women were more willing to use public transport than private transport. The main reasons were predictability, the fact that they can rely on a well-established timetable, but also ease of access and comfort, which has improved constantly in recent years.
About a half of the women who choose to use public transport in the Alba Iulia metropolitan area show consistency in their choice, using the system almost daily (5-7 times a week). Nearly three-quarters of them use public transport during peak hours to travel to work or school. Another interesting result is that only 5% of female users of public transport use it after 6 p.m., in the evening or at night, and 7% at very early hours, before 7 a.m.
The result of the study is even more encouraging as, compared to previous years, the number of women opting for public transport in the Alba Iulia metropolitan area is constantly increasing. This is primarily due to the investments made by STP Alba, but also to the sustainable mobility plans of Alba Iulia Municipality. Soon, the first electric public bus will make its appearance within the Alba Iulia metropolitan transport circuit as a result of a project developed by the Municipality. Another 12 electric buses will be added to the system by 2022, together with quick and slow charging stations, with the same purpose: to provide a smart, inclusive and sustainable public transportation system at the level of Alba Iulia and the surrounding rural areas.
