Bus rapid transit networks globally: leading cities by ridership 2021

As of 2021, Brazilian cities had the most used bus rapid transit systems in the world, with Rio de Janeiro recording just over one trillion passengers. São Paulo was second, with 990 million passengers. While Brazilian cities have the largest ridership, in terms of length, the largest bus rapid transit system in the world is in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit (BRT) differs slightly from conventional urban bus transit in that BRT is intended to provide higher capacity and lower transport times. This is generally achieved through a combination of dedicated bus lanes, multiple car vehicles, busses having right of way, and greater distance between stops. BRT systems are most popular in Latin America.

Rapid transit in Latin America

Coexisting with its extensive use of BRT, Latin America also has a considerable network of metro train systems. 19 cities in Latin America have a metro train network and the region has an annual metro ridership consistently larger than North America. However, the Latin American metro network is somewhat limited in scope, having an overall track length lower than its ridership would suggest and with many systems having been built relatively recently.