News 23 Sep 2021

Europe must come together to change urban mobility Europe must come together to change urban mobility

In a joint statement on the EU’s Urban Mobility Framework, a broad coalition of transport stakeholders stressed that public transport and active mobility must be the foundation on which to build the change we need in our urban mobility systems. 

According to the document, public transport and active mobility are the most sustainable, affordable, democratic, dependable, and resilient transport modes and should therefore be placed at the heart of the new EU urban mobility framework. 

The statement points out the importance of accelerating the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, shaping appropriate funding opportunities, and creating a good framework for public and private players to cooperate.

Key recommendations include: 

  • 1. Ensure that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans accelerate the uptake of sustainable and collective mobility.
  • 2. Support sustainable mobility with appropriate funding opportunities.
  • 3. Create multimodal mobility on the ground and by harnessing the benefits of data.

The coalition includes representatives of local and regional authorities, public transport operators, local and regional transport authorities, railway and infrastructure companies, the rail supply industry, passenger organisations and advocates for walking, cycling, disability rights and better health in Europe. 

As the document reads, “the scale and speed of the changes we need requires a wide and concerted effort across all levels of government. The European Commission must ensure Member States fulfil their obligations and support their local authorities in delivering sustainable urban mobility.”

CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said: “Multimodality and modal shift is the key to achieving EU Green Deal climate objectives in transport. The importance of this message is clear in the joint statement made by the associations, that are both environmentally and socially sustainable. Public transport must be integrated and should be central to the future of the Urban Mobility Framework.

The full joint statement is available to download below.