Agreement on the first 'Europe on the Move' proposal: Modernising the European Electronic Toll Service

The European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional political agreement during their third trilogue on the 'European Electronic toll service' (EETS) to enhance cross-border interoperability of electronic tolls, contribute to administrative simplification and reduce fraud.

October 2018, the 8th CMDTUR 2018 conference took place in Žilina

The conference is traditionally organized by the University of Žilina, the Department of Road and Urban Transport.

The conference focuses on the issues of road, urban transport and sustainable development.

This year was held under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, based in Bratislava, the State Chamber of the Maritime Economy and the Slovak-Polish Chamber of Commerce.

The CMDTUR is a forum for meetings, mutual exchanges of views and best practices between researchers and road and urban transport experts.

Sydney advances intelligent transport management system

Sydney has begun to develop an advanced transport management system, providing customers with improved real-time information and predictive technology that can reduce congestion. 

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, said the new system will help the Transport Management Centre (TMC) make faster, more informed decisions which results in more reliable passenger journeys and lower levels of congestion.

€50m plan to link Paris stations as an ‘integrated hub’

Transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités has outlined a 10-point package running until 2024 to rehabilitate the urban realm around Nord and Est stations in Paris, as well as improving access between them.

The €50m programme is intended to enhance the walking routes between the two stations, which using existing streets are approximately 500 m apart. The authority points out that in total 800 000 passengers/day use the two stations, as well as Magenta station on RER Line E which is located beneath Paris-Nord. More than 200 000 passengers use the stations to interchange between different rail or metro services.

Delivering EU-wide multimodal travel information, planning and ticketing services – dream or reality?

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc and the Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility (DG MOVE) are inviting stakeholders to take stock of the development of multimodal passenger transport. While passengers increasingly combine different transport modes, they face various difficulties regarding their passenger rights, route planning and the ticketing process. The conference will present the opportunity to discuss current challenges with representatives from the public and private sector – including passenger rights organisations - bearing in mind the advance of new technologies and the European legal framework on EU-wide Multimodal Travel Information Services.

Increased participation leads to new EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK record

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK has hit a new participation record, with almost 2,800 towns and cities from 54 countries taking part in 2018. A full list of participants can be viewed online.

This impressive figure marks the third record-breaking year in a row for the campaign. The geographic reach of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK has also expanded, with towns and cities from 54 countries participating, including several from outside of Europe.

Intermodes - Brussels Study Tour

On 25 and 26 October 2018, INTERMODES will organize its 10th intermodality and new mobility study visit in Brussels. The study visit is organised in partnership with Bruxelles Mobilité, Brussels Capitale Region’s Transport Organising Authority and STIB, the public transport operator.

The Brussels Region has set itself a goal of exemplariness in terms of mobility. It consists of reducing car traffic by 20% to improve air quality, travel efficiency and urban conviviality.

To this end, several measures have been decided to encourage alternative mobility.

For more information click here

EU Budget: Commission proposes increased funding to invest in connecting Europeans with high-performance infrastructure

As part of the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the European Commission is today proposing to renew the 'Connecting Europe Facility', with a budget of €42.3 billion to support investments in the European infrastructure networks for transport (€30.6 billion), energy (€8.7 billion) and digital (€3 billion).

City of London introduces city's first low-emission parking fare

The City of London Corporation, which provides public services for London's financial and commercial district, has introduced preferential parking rates for electric and hybrid vehicles within London's 'Square Mile'.

Air pollution increased in Spain in 2017

In 2017, air quality worsened in Spain as a result of the economic recovery. A total of 45 million people (~97% of the population) breathed polluted air in 2017, according to Spanish confederation, Ecologists in Action. In their report titled “Air quality in the Spanish State during 2017”, the confederation announced that 88% of the national territory was exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution.

Czech cities purchase electric buses

Transport companies have begun shopping for electric vehicles this year. By the beginning of next year, 65 new battery-powered electric motor buses should be seen in Czech cities. Rebuilding the vehicle fleet with more environmentally friendly vehicles is not primarily motivated by the benefit to the environment, the main attraction is a billion crowns of European funding for the purchase of electric buses distributed by the Ministry for Regional Development.

Mobility plan for Prague and the surrounding area

After nearly three years of work, 240 concrete measures to improve transport have been named on the basis of an analysis of problem spots and discussions with the professional public. The major projects include the completion of the Prague Ring Road and other road constructions, the construction of the Metro line D and the development of the tram network, the extension of the railway network including the connection with the airport and city of Kladno, the creation of 100 km of new cycling routes, strengthening of the share of electric vehicles, repair of streets and bridges, improvement of public transport stops, construction of P+R parkings in the Central Bohemian Region, improvement of the city's supply system, introduction of low carbon logistics system, toll system, creation of fast connection with cities such as Ústí nad Labem, Hradec Králové and Liberec, barrier-free public transport vehicles and others.

Apply now for the 7th SUMP Award on Multimodality

The 2018 SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans) Award on multimodality is now open for applications! The call for applications is open until 1 October 2018.

First introduced by the European Commission in 2012, the award helps showcase successful SUMP implementation and honours cities that are demonstrating excellence and raising the profile of SUMPs across Europe.

€245 million awarded to Horizon 2020 transport projects

Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) has signed grant agreements with 39 projects selected for funding under two Horizon 2020 calls - Mobility for Growth and Automated Road Transport respectively. They will receive a total of €243.8 million.

The projects are expected to use research and innovation on equipment and systems for vehicles, aircraft and maritime vessels that will make them smarter, cleaner, safer, and more automated. Projects will also focus on research on road users' safety, sustainable mobility in urban areas and "smart electric mobility" in cities, improvement of the logistics systems' performance, and resilience and optimization of transport infrastructure.

They are expected to start their activities by 1 September 2018 at the latest.

For more information click here

ELENA: supporting the deployment of sustainable and innovative urban mobility

ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) provides grants for project development assistance to public and private project promoters. It has already awarded around €120 million of EU support triggering €4.7 billion of expected investments on the ground in 21 countries.

The facility was created by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the preparation of bankable, ambitious and large-scale investment programs in energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy.

Six transport projects are currently benefitting from €12.4 million from the ELENA facility. These projects are expected to generate a total investment of €511 million. The six projects were presented at the General Assembly of the European Innovation Partnership in Smart cities and communities in Sofia.

For more information click here

Romania receives its first ever emission-free battery buses

The Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, according to the country’s commitment to reduce the air and noise pollution levels across their country, has received the country’s first order of emission-free battery vehicles.

The electric buses were purchased under the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme and it will be CTP Transport Company who will become the operator of the vehicles.

REFORM publishes Good Practices on sustainable mobility planning and SUMPs

The REFORM INTERREG project partners have collected Good Practices (GPs) on sustainable mobility planning and SUMPs (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans) from the four REFORM regions and beyond, in Europe. The 26 GPs are coming from nine EU countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden and UK).

New public transport app developed for child-specific needs

Berlin’s new application will encourage younger users to travel on public transport, whilst keeping them safe and informed. Based on the HaCon Kids App, which utilises child-friendly innovations, the new mobility app, ‘VBB jump’, presented by Berlin-Brandenburg public transport authority VBB, will begin helping a younger user group to travel from door to door – a first step toward safer travel for kids.

New business model for flexible mobility

The Flexible Mobility Centre, for planning and managing different transport services, is built upon the two axes of urban mobility: collective transport and flexible services. The center addresses the two main levels of urban mobility in a coordinated way, where both public (collective) and private components interact with each other: major transport axes and corridors on the one hand, and flexible/ride-sharing services on the other.

ITS World Congress 2018

The ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) World Congress rotates between Europe, the Asia Pacific region and the Americas, returning to Europe every three years. ERTICO ITS Europe organises either an ITS World Congress or an ITS European Congress every year. The Congress provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together, discuss and make the necessary contacts to move initiatives forward and to develop their business by exhibiting and demonstrating state of the art ITS solutions.

Sessions are a vital part of the ITS World Congress 2018 which takes place in Copenhagen in September. Under the theme “ITS - Quality of Life”, experts will have the opportunity to present the latest ITS solutions and mobility technologies. The Congress will be a momentum to show ground breaking results on how ITS solutions have created a positive impact for the citizens. 

The ITS Congress consists of three main areas:

• Congress programme sessions and presentations of the latest developments in ITS
• Demonstrations – showcases of current ITS technology being developed and deployed throughout the world)
• Exhibition – exhibition booths and dedicated sessions/events

For more information click here 

CIVITAS Awards 2018

The call has been launched for applications for this year's CIVITAS Awards! Towns and cities who are a CIVITAS Forum member can now submit their entries to win Europe's most prestigious prizes for clean urban transport. The submission deadline is 13 July 2018.

Applicants can win awards in four different categories:

• The "Bold Measure" Award for a daring and innovative approach that has yet to be widely implemented and positions the city as a pioneer in its respective thematic area;
• The “Take Up” Award for cities a city that has successfully have been successfully transferred from one city to another;
• The “CIVITAS Legacy” Award for a city that has successfully translated their inspiring and committed involvement in CIVITAS into long-term implementation of innovative measures with a high impact;
• The “Transformations” Award for significant transformation and progress towards a liveable and smarter city through an integrated set of mobility measures.

Award-winning activities are showcased to a European audience as examples of sustainable urban mobility excellence and promoted to the press. The Awards are presented each year during a ceremony at the CIVITAS Forum. The 2018 event is taking place in Umea, Sweden, from 19-21 September.

For more information click here

New initiative MaaS Catalonia launches its MaaS Manifesto

A new public-private initiative, MaaS (Mobility as a Service) Catalonia, has been formed in order to tackle mobility issues at a local level and develop the concept of MaaS in a coordinated manner. The momentum for MaaS is high in Catalonia, with a growing local ecosystem in which the public sector is developing ambitious initiatives and projects. A few private companies are already providing new mobility services and others are planning to enter the market.

GDPR: how will the new data protection law affect the transport sector?

As Europe’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) comes into force, organisations across all industries have questions about what exactly it means for them. Transport is only getting smarter and that is dependent on making the most of personal data. And, it works both ways. While transport companies can use personal data to monitor and tailor what they offer to each individual, customers can also personalise their own travel options – through online booking, downloading apps and ‘favouriting’ destinations or journeys.

UITP calls for better funding in sustainable urban transport

UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) is calling on the European Commission to invest in sustainable urban mobility solutions to meet its climate change, energy efficiency and New Urban Agenda objectives.

The European Commission (EC) will present a comprehensive draft of the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in May 2018.

London one of the EU’s worst cities for clean and safe transport, says study

A recent report, commissioned by Greenpeace and completed by Wuppertal Institute, Germany, has ranked London as the third worst city after analysing road safety, air pollution and transport cost.

After investigating 13 EU cities, only Moscow and Rome had scores worse than London, with the English capital revealed to be the second most unsafe city to walk or cycle in, with 22.3 accidents per 1,000,000 bike trips.

In a more positive light, London scored second best in ‘mobility management’, which considered low-emission zones, transport apps and car-sharing schemes.

Recently, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has discussed the potential implementation of car-free days within the capital and plans to charge the most polluting vehicles more with ultra-low emissions zones. The UK government has also published a new clean air strategy, which claims to reduce the health costs of pollution to society by approximately £1 billion per year by 2020.

For more information click here 

Four-day HackTrain hackathon: destination InnoTrans

In four months’ time the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology, InnoTrans 2018, will be hosting the Hacktrain 4.0 hackathon on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Hot on the heels of the initiative’s previous success at the end of 2016, the Hacktrain returns ­– a kind of technology marathon for hackers where endurance is required from the software developers, designers and industry experts who are doing the programming.

FLOW issues roadmap encouraging private sector to use multimodal transport analysis techniques

FLOW (Furthering Less Congestion by Creating Opportunities For More Walking and Cycling) is a project that aims to put walking and cycling on an equal footing with motorised modes as a solution to tackle urban congestion by developing a methodology to assess the effectiveness of walking and cycling measures.

FLOW released a new publication “Using FLOW’s Multimodal Transport Analysis Techniques in the Transport Planning Profession”. This document outlines how transport sector businesses can use the FLOW approach to help clients and administrations (transport planning and engineering consultants, producers of transport equipment and supplies) better ask, and answer, questions about the impacts of walking and cycling measures. It can assist such businesses in communicating improved methods for analysing multimodal transport system performance.

For more information click here 

Building greener and more liveable cities: the role of zero emission construction sites

European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment organizes the EU Green Week, an annual opportunity for cities to debate and discuss European environmental policy. EU Green Week 2018 will take place from 21 to 25 May with the theme of 'Green Cities for a Greener Future' and it will be all about making Europe's cities greener. The week will officially open on 21/5 in Utrecht (The Netherlands) and will close on 25/5 in Madrid (Spain).

Transport for today and tomorrow: the importance of making travel easier

The growing urban population will inevitably increase traffic congestion. And with cities being responsible for 75 per cent of global CO2 emissions, this creates a great need to expand public transportation systems to ensure sustainable mobility. Public transport is an essential part of tackling both pollution and congestion, and travelling by public transport needs to be an easy choice.

Transport operators prepare for further digitalisation before end of 2018

New research from IRU has revealed the challenges European transport operators face, and highlights the potential for digital solutions and services to unlock industry opportunities.

While IRU’s findings are overall positive, 35 per cent of respondents say they have no plans to invest in digital solutions in the next six months. This suggests that there are pockets of the industry yet to embrace new technologies, who risk being left behind.

Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General at IRU, commented: “Our role to support road transport in becoming more sustainable has never been more important. This event brings together some of the leading innovators in road transport, including Daimler, DKV Euro Service, TomTom and Wtransnet, to share insights and experiences with the businesses running road transport services on the ground.”

For more information click here 

Oslo uses climate budget and procurement strategy to tackle GHGs

ICLEI Member Oslo's (Norway) 2018 ‘climate budget’  has identified procurement as a key focus area in a wide-ranging environmental strategy aimed at significantly reducing the city’s GHG emissions by 2020.

Karlsruhe: ensuring the success of future urban mobility

More people are now living and working in cities. With the current trend of urbanisation, the importance of cities and urban areas continues to grow. Due to this, cities are facing ever greater social challenges in respect of the environment, transport and social cohesion.

Additional support for alternative fuels in Czech Republic

The Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic will support the construction of CNG filling stations for freight vehicles with 50 million CZK, LNG and hydrogen stations will follow.

Elon Musk Talks About Bringing Autonomous Transport to Cities

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said that he is working on a self-driving vehicle that could replace buses and other public transport vehicles. Tesla Motors have already brought autonomous technologies to roads. Examples include the features of lane-changing and self-parking controls, which will be available on Model 3 of Tesla’s Model S and X. Musk also stressed the need to solve the high-density urban transport problem and even though he was not willing to provide more information, he stated that an idea exists for something that is not exactly a bus but would solve this problem.

For more information click here

Diesel tax set to increase

The UK’s Transport Secretary, has proposed an increase on tax for diesel in an effort to cut down on air pollution. His statement has caused great concern among haulage firms, since increased taxes would result to higher costs to deliver goods. This will ultimately influence prices for consumers. This decision was based on an estimation of the Royal College of Physicians that around 40,000 people die sooner than expected in the UK each year due to air pollution. The also stated that this increased air pollution is due to the amount of diesel cars on the road day by day.

For more information click here

New Commission online tool to measure fuel costs and CO2 emissions of your car journey

The Joint Research Center has developed an online tool to help citizens estimate fuel costs and CO2 emissions of their daily commute or holiday trips by car. The “Green Driving Tool” estimates the fuel costs and CO2 emissions based on variables such as car segment, engine power, fuel type and driving cycle. This tool uses detailed map data and vehicle simulations; thus it is expected to raise awareness of the impact of car journeys and support citizens to make decisions on their use of cars.

For more information click here

Vienna, Igoumenitsa and Turda: winners of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards 2017

The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award showcases local authorities that demonstrate significant efforts in promoting sustainable urban mobility, while the SUMP Award recognises outstanding sustainable urban mobility planning. This edition of the SUMP award focused on shared mobility in the planning process. Vienna, Igoumenitsa and Turda were selected by an independent panel of mobility and transport experts and will each receive a promotional video highlighting their achievements.

Transport Publics 2018, the European Mobility Exhibition

Users’ expectations of public transport are increasingly stringent – and diverse. Consequently, the challenge is to respond to demand in a variety of ways: innovating in terms of multimodal solutions and promoting complementary offerings, geared to current lifestyles and the requirements of sustainable development.

Smart Move Challenge: special focus on Mobility Startups

In a new development for 2018, Transports Publics, the European Mobility Exhibition, is organising the first edition of the European “Smart Move Challenge” from 19 February to 13 June, 2018. The contest will reward innovations developed by mobility startups.

Pedestrians First: Tools for a Walkable City

Walkability is a crucial first step in creating sustainable transportation in an urban environment.

​Effectively understanding and measuring the complex ecology of walkability has proven challenging for many organizations and governments, given the various levels of policy-making and implementation involved. In the past, Western and Eurocentric standards have permeated measurement attempts and have included data collection practices that are too complicated to have utility in many parts of the world or at a level beyond that of the neighborhood.

Mobile technology connects Montreal’s transport network

Public transit users in the Montréal metropolitan area now have access to a mobile application called Chrono. Chrono is a mobile app available free of charge for smartphones running the iOS or Android operating systems. The app helps to provide streamlined journeys to its users with continual real-time information, whilst enabling public transport operators to become mobility managers.

Diesel cars' emissions far higher on road than in lab, tests show

Based on a UK government investigation, it was revealed that diesel cars produce many times more health-damaging pollutants than the ones reported during laboratory tests. A study by the Department for Transport (DfT) was performed and a vast difference in n nitrogen oxide emissions measured in the laboratory and under normal driving conditions was detected. The DfT said that no vehicles outside the VW group with systems in place to deliberately rig emissions figures were found. Based on the same study, none of the 37 top-selling vehicles that were claimed to have met the previous Euro 5 limit of 180 mg/km, in place from 2009 until last year, stayed within that legal level when driven on the road.

For more information click here

Road Transport: Commission adopts common rules to facilitate enforcement and enhance road safety

The European Commission has adopted a series of rules applicable to road hauliers and road passenger transport operators. A common classification of serious road safety infringements under transport legislation is included, as well as new specifications for smart tachographs (the device that records driving times of lorry, bus and coach drivers) making the best use of new digital technologies. The objective is to enhance road safety, contribute to a fairer competition between road transport operators and to facilitate a consistent enforcement of EU rules across borders.

For more information click here

Railway infrastructure management issues of importance to Lithuania were discussed with the EU Transport Commissioner

Minister of Transport and Communications Rokas Masiulis and Violeta Bulc, Transport Commissioner of the European Union (EU), currently visiting Vilnius, discussed the issues of importance to Lithuania related to the international transport infrastructure and mobility. The European Commissioner introduced the provisions of Lithuania aimed at the implementation of solutions in the transport sector initiated by the EU by harmonising them with the interests of the country as much as possible.

Electronic vignettes come into force in Lithuania

In order to create more favourable conditions for carriers, electronic vignettes have been legalised in Lithuania at the order of the Minister of Transport and Communications. From now on both paper and electronic vignettes can be used.

From Lithuanian-Belarusian state border to Klaipėda by electric train – in 2022 already

Using the investment of the European Union funds, Lithuania plans to electrify the entire railway line crossing the territory of the country in the East-West direction, from the Lithuanian-Belarusian state border to Klaipėda, until 2022. The list of state projects financed from the EU funds, in which projects dedicated to this purpose are planned, has been supplemented at the order of the Minister of Transport and Communications Rokas Masiulis. The total value of electrification projects is EUR 349.1 million, of which EUR 224.1 million is the planned investment from the EU Cohesion Fund, and the remaining funds will be allocated by JSC Lithuanian Railways.

CODECS C-ITS City Pool workshop

The final workshop of the CODECS C-ITS City Pool will take place in Dublin City Council on 22 March 2018 in order to involve city representatives and discuss the level of deployment of C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems)  and the benefits for transport authorities, in addition to the role they could play in the future.

Sessions will cover topics such as how C-ITS can support traffic management, what is the added value of C-ITS over existing ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), are cities willing to pay for it, how can C-ITS strengthen urban freight and public transport.

Click here for draft agenda

Public review launched for new Urban Agenda Partnership on Urban Mobility

The Urban Agenda for the EU is a multi-level and multi-stakeholder initiative that strives to involve cities and urban authorities to achieve Better Regulation, Better Funding and Better Knowledge for urban policy in Europe.

Green cities for a greener future

EU Green Week; Green Cities for a Greener Future is taking place from 21-25th May and will explore ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. 

Showcasing policy developments on air quality, noise, nature and biodiversity, waste and water management, Green Week will promote participatory approaches to urban development, networking schemes, and tools for sharing best practices, engaging local authorities and citizens, and encouraging them to share their vision of a sustainable future.

Registration for participants for the EU Green Week conference in Brussels will be open from the 1st April.

More information here

CIVITAS Annual Conference 2018

The CIVITAS Forum Conference for 2018, which will bring all the CIVITAS community together, will take place from 19-21 September in Umea, Sweden.