Can better buses fix city pollution?

From The Climate Question by BBC World Service

March 22, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

This episode explores how cities can improve transportation efficiency and reduce pollution through better bus systems and urban planning.

Transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and in cities around the world it is also one of the biggest daily frustrations. Congestion, pollution and long journeys to work affect millions of people every day. In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar explores how cities can move large numbers of people more quickly, cheaply and with fewer emissions. With most urban journeys still dominated by private cars, the challenge is how to shift people towards more efficient forms of transport. He speaks to Dario Hidalgo, a transport expert based in Bogotá, where a system known as Bus Rapid Transit has helped transform how millions of people travel. By giving buses dedicated lanes, larger vehicles and faster boarding systems, cities can move more people using fewer vehicles, cutting both congestion and emissions. Variations of the model are now being used in cities around the world. Jordan also hears from Sarah Kaufman, Director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation in New York, about why similar systems can be harder to implement in dense cities, and how measures like congestion charging are helping to reduce traffic and fund…

People in this episode

Host: Jordan Dunbar

Guests: Dario Hidalgo, Sarah Kaufman

Topics covered

transportation
pollution
urban planning
public transport
greenhouse gas emissions
Bus Rapid Transit

Keywords

city pollution
public transport
Bus Rapid Transit
greenhouse gas emissions
urban journeys
congestion charging

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NYU Rudin Center for Transportation

Places: Bogotá, New York