ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy), an institute for transport and development policy, is a non-profit non-governmental organization responsible for selecting one or two cities per year that deserve an award for sustainable transport. In 2007, ITDP awarded the world prize to the city of Guayaquil, in previous years it was won by the city of Bogotá, later Manhattan, other cities in Asia, Europe and America, and Paris is the last awarded city.

This award was given to Guayaquil for its contribution to the quality of life, through the implementation of the Malecón 2000, where more than 3,000 meters were given to pedestrians on the banks of the Guayas River, for the urban regeneration that transformed the city center by arranging its road infrastructure and Metrovía, BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) or a system fed by the main road, where public transport had priority over private transport and did not allow the traffic of other transport lines in the area of ​​influence of the main road; among other terms.

Regarding the priority of public transport over private transport, it was found that the Metrovía system transports between 7,500 and 9,000 people per hour/direction/lane, while on urban roads in the city center cars mobilize about 600 people per hour/direction/lane and 1,200 in avenues. This showed that the Metrovía lane transports, per lane, more than 10 times more people than light vehicles. This is why in the city of Manhattan (USA) the main roads have 2 lanes for public transport, although in that country there are 8 vehicles for every 10 people, and in our country only 1.4 vehicles for 10 people.

In the Metrovía system, more than 500,000 people were transported per day on three trunk lines, with trunk 4, 650,000 people could be reached per day and 60% of the metropolitan area would be covered, integrating all popular sectors with commercial and industrial sectors with a single payment.

It should be noted that to the extent that the traffic in the city increases, if it is respected; the exclusive lane, non-blocking intersections and the Metrovía system, this system will become the only one that guarantees faster mobilization; Bogotá is taken as a reference with Transmilenia (similar to Metrovía), which mobilizes 48,000 people/hour/direction.

Although it is true that the urban public transport system all over the world is provided by municipalities, and not by private transport companies, at the time of the pandemic they were not profitable anywhere, which fortunately no longer exists; if there is sufficient demand to justify affordable fares for those with less, it is possible to have a profitable transportation service as it originally was.

Since Guayaquil could win the award for the best city in the world starting from scratch, regaining that position should be less difficult, and the new challenge is to have Metrovía throughout the city for a fee. (OR)