MEMBERS of the executive board of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) have elected Mr Alain Flausch as the body's new secretary general. Flausch will take over at the end of the year from Mr Hans Rat who will retire from the role he has held for 13 years.

 

Flausch has served as president of the association since 2009 and been CEO of Brussels Transport (STIB) for the past 11 years where has overseen a 100% increase in ridership since 1999. In paying tribute to his successor, Rat said Flausch's experience both in the public and private sectors means that the UITP is in good hands.

 

"He is strongly committed to the UITP and PTx2, the ambition to double public transport's market share worldwide by 2025," Rat says. "He actually contributed to it by achieving impressive results with the Brussels public transport network."

 

In accordance with UITP by-laws, the UITP's most senior vice-president, Mr Ousmane Thiam, will be appointed president. Thiam is president of Dakar Urban Transport Executive (CETUD) and president of the African Association of Public Transport (UATP), the African division of UITP.