Public transport is the backbone of mobility in Italy, and for the majority of people – including tourists – it’s the default choice, because of the seamless connectivity between different modes.
The train network is vast, connecting even the most remote villages to major urban centers. It’s a mix of high-speed rail, regional services, and local trains, all integrated to offer smooth connectivity across the country.
But for me, the more interesting part begins once you step off the train. As you get out of the station, you have buses waiting for you to complete your next leg of the journey.
Italy has perfected the art of multimodal transit system, and if you watch the video below, you will notice how train passengers can choose to cycle, hop on a bus, or simply walk to their destination.
Within 3 mins of walking distance from this station, there is also a ferry port that takes you to nearby villages.
While locals have transit cards, tourists can simply tap their debit or credit cards to pay for their journey, and unlike in India, where we pay per ride, tickets here are valid for 90 minutes regardless of number of rides, and modes.
In the image below, notice the sheer number of tram, metro, and bus stops clustered around the train station – all of them easily accessible on foot.
Italian cities often deploy buses of different sizes. The 7-meter ones, like the example below, serve residential areas and link them to major transit hubs.
There are also the usual 12m, 8-10m ones and the articulated buses. Bigger cities also have a network on trolley buses, that take you to your doorstep.
And the articulated buses are not just limited to wide streets – in fact, they’re regularly deployed in some of the tightest, narrowest spaces. Bus routes here are timed so that vehicles heading in opposite directions don’t meet in the narrowest sections.
The country adopts “Entry from front” and “Exit from middle” strategy on its buses due to two reasons:
1. Ensure passengers purchase tickets.
2. People don’t bump into each other while boarding and de-boarding.
This eliminates the need for onboard conductors, reducing financial strain on transit agencies.
The situation is quite contrary to what we witness in India where buses and other modes of transit don’t really integrate seamlessly with the other.
What’s worse is that even the upcoming “Amrit Bharat” train station redevelopment project for 1300 stations across India entirely skips this, and instead relies on cars.
This happens when departments work in silos, failing to look at the problem holistically leading to unnecessary dependence on cars, autos and taxis.
A few stations like SMVT in Bengaluru have better integration with buses, but not effectively, due to poor frequency & a lack of proper route rationalization. They also fall short due to poor last-mile connectivity , like the absence of functional footpaths or smaller feeder buses.
Since the last leg of most journeys is on foot, Italian cities make even streets without footpaths safer by painting lines to mark pedestrian space – subtly but effectively forcing drivers to respect it.
Another India-specific solution that could work well is shared two-wheeler parking where bicycles, motorcycles, and scooters use the same designated parking spaces.
This is quite uncommon in Europe as well, where there is a clear separation between bicycles & motorcycles.
Since, Italy has a very high two-wheeler ownership compared to rest of the European countries, this design may have proven suitable.
Now, besides the state sponsored public transit system, Italy encourages private bus operators to facilitate passenger movement from one mode to another. You can simply pay a small fee and hop on a bus from the airport that connects to various parts of the city, including major railway stations.
These private operators also fill in gaps where public agencies either don’t operate or find it inefficient. Some private bus tickets even bundle services (like a FlixBus + Metro day pass or a shuttle + funicular ride).
Most of these private companies operate under contract with the region with the local transport authority or the municipality. This ensures reasonable fares, integration with transit cards, and a reliable transit system.
These private players are allotted dedicated space or bus stands near railway stations and airports to park their buses and to onboard passengers.
Their participation is essential, as each additional bus passenger potentially represents one fewer car contributing to road congestion.
