Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.

Correct Answer: "When more people use buses or trains the service usually improves because public-transport agencies run more buses and trains."

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Identify the Core Theme of the Coherent Sentences:
If we look at the sentences (excluding the correct answer), they discuss a specific trend related to the decline or structural shift in public transport usage:

• One sentence (not in the options, but implied by the context) establishes a trend of declining public transport ridership.
• "Worsening services on public transport, terrorist attacks in some urban metros and a rise in fares have been blamed for this trend." attributes the decline to service issues, safety concerns, and cost.
• "It seems more likely that public transport is being squeezed structurally as people’s need to travel is diminishing as a result of smartphones, video conferencing, online shopping and so on." offers a counter-explanation, arguing that the squeeze is structural and driven by technological shifts that reduce the need to travel.
• "Urbanites also have more and better options for getting around: Uber is ubiquitous; easy-to-rent dockless bicycles are spreading; battery powered scooters will be next." supports this structural squeeze by highlighting alternative ride-sharing and micro-mobility options that divert passengers away from traditional public transit.

Together, these sentences form a coherent discussion on the decline of public transport ridership and the competing explanations for it (service/safety issues vs. structural/technological shifts and new mobility options).

2. Analyze the Odd Sentence:
The sentence "When more people use buses or trains the service usually improves because public-transport agencies run more buses and trains." focuses on a positive feedback mechanism of public transport (how increased ridership leads to better service). This positive, microeconomic assertion about service improvement does not fit into the paragraph's discussion about the decline, structural squeeze, and alternative ride options affecting modern transit systems.

Therefore, this sentence is the odd one out.