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Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI)

SUTI photoESCAP has developed the Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI), an Excel based tool that can help summarize, track and compare the performance of sustainable urban transport systems in cities. SUTI is a framework of indicators to assess urban transport systems and services. The index is based on ten indicators representing, transport system, social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable urban transport. The indicators and SUTI can reflect state of urban transport performance in a city. The carefully selected ten SUTI indicators covers elements of planning, access, safety, quality and reliability, affordability, and emissions. Indicators on different scales are normalized and performance of each indicators is compared on a scale of 1-100 and illustrated in a spider diagram. SUTI is derived by geometric aggregation of ten indicators, based on equal weighting. SUTI tool can help cities to assess the achievement of the SDG target 11.2 and support implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

A data collection guideline and Excel SUTI data sheet are available for guidance for data collection and analysis. Pilot application of SUTI was completed in four Asian cities: Colombo; Greater Jakarta; Hanoi; and Kathmandu. A capacity building workshop was held in Colombo in October 2017 to share the results of pilot application. ESCAP is currently supporting SUTI application in Dhaka, Ho Chi Minh City, Surabaya and Bandung.

ESCAP would like to encourage cities and developing member countries to use SUTI for assessment of urban transport systems and use results to plan and implement measures to improve urban transport systems and services. ESCAP is also looking for collaborating partners to support collection of urban transport data and application of SUTI in more cities.

Interested cities and countries wiling to use SUTI tool for assessment of urban transport systems and host capacity building workshop on improvement of urban public transport systems in may contact the Transport Division.

Progress Update

1 November 2021

The secretariat continued to promote evidence-based planning for urban public transport using the Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI) through advisory services, consultation meetings, organization of regional capacity building workshops and virtual workshops. To date, the secretariat had conducted SUTI mobility assessments in 20 cities in 12 Asia-Pacific countries. The secretariat also further updated SUTI tool to refine the indicators on safety (indicator 5) and operational cost (indicator 7) and data collection guideline to include assessment of gender dimension, renewable energy use in public transport and a component on the impacts of COVID-19 on mobility.

For further information:
◾ SUTI Colombo Workshop 2017
◾ SUTI Dhaka Workshop 2018
◾ SUTI Hanoi Workshop 2019
◾ Virtual Regional Workshop on Urban Mobility, 2020
◾ Virtual Workshop on Urban Mobility in Yangon, 2020
◾ Regional Workshop on Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Urban Passenger Transport: Preparing for Post-Pandemic Mobility in Asia, 2021
◾ National Capacity Building Workshop on Planning For Sustainable, Inclusive And Resilient Public Transport System, Shah Alam, 22 December 2022

Publications on Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI)
◾ Monograph Series on Sustainable and Inclusive Transport - Assessment of Urban Transport System
◾ SUTI data Collection Guideline, 2019
◾ SUTI Data Analysis Excel Tool (2018)
◾ SUTI Brochure
◾ Data Collection Guideline on SUTI Assessment and Impacts of COVID-19 on Mobility, 2020
◾ Tracking Sustainable Mobility in Asia-Pacific Cities, 2022

Other Publications
◾ Enhancing Sustainability and Inclusiveness of Urban Passenger Transport in Asian Cities, 2021
◾ Enhancing the Resilience of Urban Transport in Asian Cities after COVID-19: Synthesis of Academic Study Results and General Recommendations, 2021

SUTI Mobility Assessment Reports
◾ Bandung
◾ Bangkok
◾ Bhopal
◾ Colombo
◾ Dhaka
◾ Greater Jakarta 2017
◾ Greater Jakarta 2021
◾ Hanoi
◾ Ho Chi Minh
◾ Islamabad
◾ Jaipur
◾ Kathmandu
◾ Kathmandu 2022
◾ Khulna
Manila
◾ Mashhad
◾ Palembang
◾ Pekanbaru
Phnom Penh
Shah Alam 2022
◾ Surabaya
◾ Surat
◾ Suva
◾ Tehran
◾ Thimphu
◾ Ulaanbaatar
◾ Ulaanbaatar 2022
◾ Yangon