How to Increase Waterborne Public Transport

It would reduce emissions in our cities, contribute to lower noise levels, and not least—make public transport more attractive and efficient. Yet waterborne public transport struggles to take off in Sweden. A new report funded by the Swedish Transport Administration proposes four solutions to address this.

“There are several cities in Sweden that have ferry lines as part of their public transport system, but it is in Stockholm and Gothenburg where the real potential lies. Both cities have ample water and populations, and there is a great need to relieve the land-based infrastructure. In both cities, construction is everywhere, and it is difficult to get around, so the situation is more favorable than ever for ferry traffic,” says Linda Styhre, a researcher at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and one of the authors of the report Kasta loss! (Cast Off!).

Yes, the situation is favorable and has been for a long time, says another author of the report, Susanna Hall Kihl of the knowledge and collaboration platform Vattenbussen.

“If we consider water as ready-made infrastructure and then look at the map of Sweden. Where are the cities located? Where do 90 percent of Sweden's population live? Either along the coast or by our large lakes,” she says.

Despite various stakeholders pointing out for many years that waterways can be used more smartly for a sustainable society, the opportunity is often missed when planning public transport, cycle paths, and new routes.

“Since the invention of the combustion engine, we have planned for land-based traffic. The resistance is physically lower on land than in water. But now cities are so congested that the average speed on land is relatively low. Achieving a comparable speed with waterborne public transport is not a problem, while shortcuts can be created over water,” says Susanna Hall Kihl.

But changing ingrained patterns is difficult. A research study from KTH and Vattenbussen a few years ago examined the innovation capacity of public transport. It pointed out the public transport system’s “sociotechnical system and its ‘regime’” as the major problem. The system is simply too mature and well-established, which makes it robust and reliable, but also rigid and inflexible. Established regulations, planning processes, and models simply do not allow for more unconventional modes of transport and innovative solutions.

“There are many procurements for land-based transport with rail and bus, but more rarely for ferry traffic. Technological development is rapid, and it is clear that it is not easy to keep up and set the right environmental requirements. Although it has been announced that from 2025, ferry traffic over the Göta River in Gothenburg will be fully electrified, which is very positive, more initiatives are needed,” says Linda Styhre.

It is high time to pick up the pace; it’s time to “Cast off!” The report is the result of the two-year project Kunskapsunderlag för att bedöma den vattenburna kollektivtrafikens potentiella roll och funktion (Knowledge Base for Assessing the Potential Role and Function of Waterborne Public Transport), funded by the Swedish Transport Administration. The project, where IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Trivector, Vattenbussen, and KTH collaborated, aimed to provide new knowledge bases for evaluating the potential role and function of waterborne public transport in the efficient transport society. It aimed to clarify what is lacking for ferries to be regarded as an equally adequate and relevant tool in the transport sector's toolbox as land-based solutions.

The report concludes that waterborne public transport can, among other things, contribute to shorter travel routes, make infrastructure more accessible and less dependent on maintenance. It becomes more attractive for people to choose public transport. Waterborne traffic makes it more attractive for people to choose public transport and can help achieve transport and climate goals and save money by using existing resources more smartly.

To realize the potential role and function of waterways, the report proposes four measures:

1. Replace fossil-fueled vessels with alternative propulsion as soon as possible. Ensure that charging infrastructure is expanded.
2. Encourage passengers to travel sustainably. Plan waterborne traffic according to the same principles and with the same frequency as other traffic.
3. Require regional public transport authorities to consider the whole picture in their strategic direction and to consider the total costs and environmental impact of investment, operation, maintenance, and infrastructure.
4. Ensure that previously identified system lock-ins are resolved and consider broadening the regions’ responsibility for recreational travel. Create desired collaboration platforms.

Kasta loss! - Kunskapsunderlag för värdering av den vattenburna kollektivtrafikens potentiella roll och funktion has been authored by: Stephan Bösch, Sebastian Fält (Trivector), Susanna Hall Kihl (Vattenbussen), Karl Garme (KTH), Helena Lundström, Linda Styhre, and Sara Svedberg (IVL).

To the report