The French Transport Minister has announced that the national government plans to invest €200 million on autonomous electric shuttle tests. A legal framework is being created, which will allow self-driving shuttles to circulate freely on the entire public road network in France from 2020. The proposed law, known as 'LOM' (la loi d’orientation des mobilités or, mobility orientation law), has already successfully passed through the French Senate and should be adopted in the summer of 2019.
The French Transport Minister has announced that the national government plans to invest €200 million on autonomous electric shuttle tests. A legal framework is being created, which will allow self-driving shuttles to circulate freely on the entire public road network in France from 2020. The proposed law, known as 'LOM' (la loi d’orientation des mobilités or, mobility orientation law), has already successfully passed through the French Senate and should be adopted in the summer of 2019.
The European Court of Auditors is conducting an audit of EU action to improve the mobility of people in cities and densely populated areas. The auditors are examining how the European Commission and Member States use the EU funding available to put into action their urban mobility policies and whether the Commission provides effective support to Member States. The auditors will also assess the progress that has been made in recent years in managing traffic congestion.
The European Court of Auditors is conducting an audit of EU action to improve the mobility of people in cities and densely populated areas. The auditors are examining how the European Commission and Member States use the EU funding available to put into action their urban mobility policies and whether the Commission provides effective support to Member States. The auditors will also assess the progress that has been made in recent years in managing traffic congestion.
Two Romanian startups recently launched electric scooter rental services in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The first, known as “Flow”, will launch in June 2019 in both Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. The same service will also be introduced over the summer in Timisoara and further expanded at a domestic level. The company will start with a fleet of about 500 electric scooters, but the target is to expand it to 2,000 - 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year.
Two Romanian startups recently launched electric scooter rental services in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The first, known as “Flow”, will launch in June 2019 in both Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. The same service will also be introduced over the summer in Timisoara and further expanded at a domestic level. The company will start with a fleet of about 500 electric scooters, but the target is to expand it to 2,000 - 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year.
A new UK Climate Change report has been released by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), responding to a request from the Governments of the UK, Wales and Scotland to reassess the UK’s long-tern emission targets. It is thought the UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
A new UK Climate Change report has been released by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), responding to a request from the Governments of the UK, Wales and Scotland to reassess the UK’s long-tern emission targets. It is thought the UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
While vehicle manufacturers invest in research, authorities are working to improve charging infrastructure to support consumers’ growing interest in the sector. The day when electric cars dominate the passenger transport market no longer seems quite so distant.
While vehicle manufacturers invest in research, authorities are working to improve charging infrastructure to support consumers’ growing interest in the sector. The day when electric cars dominate the passenger transport market no longer seems quite so distant.
The open public consultation for the evaluation of the TEN-T guidelines has been launched and will be open until 17 July 2019.
TEN-T policy remains key in promoting the free circulation of goods, services and citizens throughout the EU. It is instrumental in boosting economic, social and territorial cohesion between all Member States and their regions, as well as beyond the EU.
The open public consultation for the evaluation of the TEN-T guidelines has been launched and will be open until 17 July 2019.
TEN-T policy remains key in promoting the free circulation of goods, services and citizens throughout the EU. It is instrumental in boosting economic, social and territorial cohesion between all Member States and their regions, as well as beyond the EU.
The global connected car market is forecast to grow by 270% by 2022 according to findings from Counterpoint Research’s Internet of Things (IoT) tracker. In addition, almost all cars in the major European economies including Germany, UK and France are expected to be connected by 2020. Media attention mostly focuses on IoT devices in smart homes but in the last few years, IoT has been rapidly changing how our cars function.
IoT and car repair
Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB and the Province of Lower Austria have begun a cooperation that aims to make modal shift easier for car drivers using railway services.
Amsterdam’s city council has announced plans to phase out many types of petrol and diesel vehicle in a bid to clean up air pollution in the city.
According to the authorities in the Dutch city, air pollution is responsible for shortening the life expectancy of residents by a year. Air pollution in the Netherlands is higher than required by EU standards; most of it is produced by Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the country’s two largest cities.
The Clean Air Action Plan announced by the city of Amsterdam aims to curb transport-related emissions and so reduce air pollution.
The City Council of Spanish Alcorcón, located in the Metropolitan area of Madrid, has announced the launch of a pilot project giving priority to traffic lights for buses, with the aim of speeding up public transport - increasing the frequency of services and reducing travel times. Initially, the scheme will be tested on the cities urban Line 2 and interurban lines 511, 513, 514, 520, as well as the night line N502.
The German city of Dresden’s sustainable urban mobility development plan (SUMP) plays an important role in improving transport in the city. The SUMP assists political decision-makers, traffic-related institutions, NGOs and institutional partners while aiming to support the economy and providing city residents with a clear direction in which policy will move. This was the conclusion of a recent evaluation report, ‘Initial evaluation of the Transport Development Plan 2025plus of the City of Dresden'.
A new report published by the International Transport Forum (ITF) benchmarks the road safety performance of 72 urban areas and puts forward recommendations to improve urban road safety.
Data for the report were collected directly from local governments in 31 areas, 19 of which were in Europe. The report also includes two case studies conducted in the Portuguese capital Lisbon and the capital of Latvia, Riga, between 2017 and 2018.
A number of recent studies, highlighted by the European Commissions Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) Digest have provided insights into the capacity of innovative technologies and solutions to respond to the challenges of urban freight transport (UFT). But how is urban freight transport changing?
In April 2019, the City of Ghent in Belgium announced plans to introduce a low emission zone in the city centre. To gain access, petrol and natural gas vehicles will be required to comply with the Euro 2 norm. For diesel, vehicles must comply with Euro 5 to access the city centre. However, Ghent is differentiating access to the city centre in more detail by using a 3-category classification:
