Public transportation to remain at the core of the EU Clean Mobility Strategy

On 14 December, the European Commission published its Clean Mobility package, intended to support the transition to cleaner, greener, and smarter mobility, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Commenting on the proposals put forward, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, explained that:

"Representing providers of services of general interest, SGI Europe welcomes the focus of this new Mobility Package on stronger and more active support for urban public transport, including public rail. Public transportation is, by far, the best decarbonisation and electrification strategy for cities and regions. We have called for stronger and more active support for urban public transport (including public rail) in this Urban Mobility Package. The expansion and active support for public transport are pivotal to reach the EU climate goals."

"The proposed Intelligent Transport System (ITS) can lead to a new urban mobility model, relying on better multimodal and digital services. SGI Europe calls for a level-playing field for data sharing and mobility platforms to improve the quality of service as a whole. All actors, private and public, must have the same provisions for sharing data, and compensation of costs incurred by the provision of data must be provided."

"SGI Europe also welcomes the publication of the new TEN-T regulation with its aim to increase the use of public transports and strengthen urban nodes in the Urban Mobility Package. SGI Europe acknowledges the proposed requirement for cities along the TEN-T network to develop Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). However, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, cities need an extended degree of freedom to choose their respective decarbonisation strategies for the transport sector."

SGI Europe will closely monitor the implementation of the Mobility Package and its proposals, aiming to ensure that SGI providers' role is recognised to ensure a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral transport sector in Europe.

(Photo: European Union, 2021. Source: EC - Audiovisual Service)