Madrid 2003   The Autonomous Community of Madrid is located in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and right in the centre of the Castilian plain, 646 metres above the sea level. It has a population of over 5 million inhabitants. Madrid is a cosmopolitan city, a business centre and headquarters for the Government, Spanish Parliament, Public Administration and the home of the Spanish Royal Family. The Local Host of the 55th UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition in 2003 is the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (Madrid Regional Transport Consortium). The CRTM, created in 1985, is the Public Transport Authority of the Community of Madrid, and has the following functions:     - Planning of public transport infrastructures   - Planning of transport services and coordinated programmes for all transport modes   - Creation of integrated fare plans for the whole system and ticketing   - Creation of a global image of the transport system where the CRTM is the user's respondent         Madrid has made a great effort with regard to public transport in the past ten years, which has resulted in a variety of actions: the underground network extensions, an important drive in the renovation of vehicles, improvements in operation and services, introduction of new ticketing technologies, growth on transport information, private investment in public transport infrastructure, participation in European projects and presence in Latin America.