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Only a minority of young people in developing countries goes to university. Those who do will probably be the future leaders of their society. Bogotá and Curitiba are known worldwide for their public transport systems based on buses, which introduced unprecedented quality standards for transport in the developing world. But these systems depend on continuous technical improvements and, in particular, backing from political leaders as they compete with other modes of transport for infrastructure and funding. This is especially critical in societies experiencing rapid growth in personal motorized transport, such as Brazil and Colombia. This paper analyses the opinions of university students in Bogotá and Curitiba about their famous public transport systems, and compares their opinions with their current mobility practices. The aim was to shed light on the challenges concerning the future status of public transport the two cities are likely to face, which to a certain extend can be considered a forewarning for other cities in developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]