Czechs and Slovaks want to test autonomous vehicles

Representatives of the Czech and Slovak state, mobile operators, the automotive industry and the academic sphere should develop a joint project to test autonomous vehicles and other modern technologies on the D2 motorway between cities of Bratislava and Brno. Such conclusion was adopted during the joint meeting of Czech Minister of Transport, Mr. Dan Ťok and the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Informatics, Mr. Peter Pellegrini.

"The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic are important players in the car industry, mutual vehicle production is comparable to the big European countries, so we should work together to develop intelligent transport infrastructure and test autonomous vehicles, and we have agreed to prepare a cross-border project to allow us to test the smart highway in operation", said Czech Transport Minister, Mr. Dan Ťok.

The Slovak Deputy Prime Minister expects that mobile operators and car manufacturers will participate in the project. "We would like to make a cross-border project on the D2 motorway between Bratislava and Brno, test the available facilities and, in cooperation with mobile operators, to examine problematic transitions from one network to another", added Mr. Pellegrini.

Representatives of the Czech Ministry of Transport will, together with Slovak counterparts, form a joint project within the research team, which will, among other things, address the issue of project financing and the timing of its implementation. The Ministry of Transport will also manage a project for a test circuit for autonomous vehicles, which should emerge in the coming years.

EU invests €22.1 million to support sustainable, efficient transport and energy infrastructure

European transport still depends on oil for 94% of its energy needs. That is why the EU is investing in seven projects to speed up the deployment of alternative energy sources, with a special focus on electrification and multimodal transport.'

Sharing gets you further

The 2017 European Mobility Week (16-22 September 2017) is held under the theme of clean, shared and intelligent mobility, as encapsulated by the slogan 'Sharing gets you further'. By using shared forms of transport we can reduce our expenses and lower our carbon footprint. Best of all, we can meet new people and make our journey more sociable.

Smart technology, such as apps and online platforms are already helping to make mobility more efficient, saving us money and helping the environment. New applications have made it easier than ever before to manage our mobility together. Studies show that embracing shared mobility can have a positive impact on our towns and cities: each shared car, for example, takes approximately 15 private cars off the road.Sharing also enables us to mix transport types more easily. Driving, cycling, public transport - it's all possible when we share.

​In 2017, EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK invites local politicians and the public to experience the benefits of shared mobility. Cities, NGOs, business sector and schools can get involved in European Mobility Week and register their mobility actions, test new forms of clean mobility and progress towards more sustainable mobility for Europe. For the time being only 14 cities are participating but the number is expected to increase a lot, considering that in 2016 2.427 towns and cities have participated in the campaign.

For more information: click here.

Passengers’ rights in multimodal transport

The EU has adopted a set of legislation ensuring that passengers have rights when they travel by plane, train, ship and bus. However, when different modes of transport are used one after the other to complete one journey, passengers' rights are not guaranteed for their entire multimodal journey. This is due to the fact that current EU passenger rights legislations, which regulate each mode separately, cannot be applied effectively in the context of multimodal passenger transport. Therefore, when different modes of transport are used, passenger rights may not be guaranteed when transferring from one mode to another since no legislation applies in this case.

This is the reason that European Commission wants to better protect passengers in the EU when using multimodal transport. To this context a public consultation has been announced in order to seek the opinion of the general public about problems passengers face when combining different modes of transport, about the available options and the likely impact of each option.

The consultation period lasts till 25th of May 2017 and contributions may be submitted in any official language of the EU.

​For more information: click here.

Funding for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of the Municipality of Heraklion

The Municipality of Heraklion is funded by the Green Fund for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. The Municipality submitted a detailed proposal for the development of a modern plan for sustainable urban mobility. The proposal was positively assessed and the funding amount was up to 155,000 Euros, the second largest amount given to a city of Greece, after Athens.

On Friday 24th March 2017, the deputy Mayor of Technical Services, Mr. Yannis Anastasakis, signed the funding agreement for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of the Municipality. The Plan aims to promote changes in the behavior of the daily commuting of people and goods by promoting walking, cycling and public transport, as key components of urban mobility.

​In the long run, active ways of mobility such as walking, cycling and public transport, which prove to be beneficial for all ages and the environment, will be enforced. The emphasis given to the organisation of the daily traffic routes, for example the bicycle paths and pavements’ design, promotes a healthier life for all social groups, as well as a safer urban environment.

For more information: click here.