Summer is finally here and holiday time is just around the corner. While you are lounging in your deck chair, take time to discover the latest from the Smart Move High Level Group who have been examining long distance coach services, and read all about the latest developments in France as new long distance intercity services begin. Also in this issue find out how the G20 finally made the smart move, a minority of rich Delhi residents are fighting against efficient bus transport for the majority of the city's population, bus passengers are contributing to the UK economy on a massive scale, read the latest on South Africa's first Bus Rapid Transit, and how blind and visually impaired people are being given a helping hand to catch the bus.

The Smart Move campaign has again continued its global growth with two new members, from Italy and Ecuador, jumping on board to promote bus and coach use in their own countries. We look forward to working with them!

Summer is also the time when we launch our annual Smart Move photo competition. We want to see all the Smart Moves that you have taken or witnessed on your travels, so get snapping. We are also off for our hard earned summer break and will be back in September with all the latest Smart Move news. Enjoy the break!

The EU public-private Smart Move High Level Group, initiated by the IRU, started its work on how to achieve the Smart Move objective of doubling the use of bus and coach transport by boosting intercity bus and coach regular lines in Europe. Public and private stakeholders and citizens are invited to contribute.

Following the annual G20 meeting in Mexico, where urban public transport was specifically discussed for the first time, the G20 affirmed that investment in public transport is crucial to achieving sustainable development.

A group of French small private coach operators have joined forces to enter the newly emerging market in France with a fleet of new luxury coaches and new routes to provide an alternative to private cars.

Bus travel is a key contributor to economic and social well-being, according to a new UK report published this month. It highlights that bus commuters generate a staggering £64 billion of economic activity every year, and that 1 in 10 bus users would have to find a new job if bus services were cut.

Delhi’s successful BRT system, which the government is planning to expand, is being taken to court by a wealthy car owning minority in the city who seek the right to use dedicated bus lanes that serve the majority of the city’s road commuters.

Construction work begins on South Africa’s first Bus Rapid Transit network in Pretoria that will bring rapid, reliable, safe, efficient bus services with a low carbon footprint. The new BRT will link disadvantaged areas of the city with the economic centres, and so drive employment and growth. The system should be operational by April 2014.

Smart Move continues its global expansion as momentum in the campaign and its values grows. This month we welcome on board two new partners; Kalter Truck & Bus from Ecuador, and Autobus Blog from Italy.

The summer is apparently here and that means holidays – and we want to see all the Smart Moves that you have taken or witnessed on your travels. So post your photos to our Facebook page and share your experiences!

Blind, deaf, and other disabled passengers in Spain and Italy have been given a helping hand from a new smart phone app that informs them where and when to board a bus using data from GPS based transit systems in various cities.