Also to note - a very interesting study -
EU» Mobility Atlas 2021 - lots of really fascinating data and diagrams. Bit heavy text for the first few pages but I have been reading and enjoying and learning for far longer than I have available today!
Subjects covered by that document are worth listening ... and I have archived a copy for members at
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/EUMobilityatlas2021_FINAL_WEB.pdf 12 BRIEF LESSONS
On mobility in Europe
HISTORY A STRUGGLE FOR DIRECTIONS.
It took until the late 1980s to make transport part of EU policy. Since then, steps have been taken to-wards a more ambitious transport policy. Reluctan-ce in EU Member States to enforce the rules keeps being the biggest obstacle.
EMPLOYMENT FEAR OF FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE.
Liberalisation and social harmonisation have barely gone hand in hand in the transport sector. Some EU rules exist, but without proper enforce-ment, the current employment situation is often unsatisfactory.
AVIATION FLYING GREEN—A NICE DREAM.
Suddenly, the skies were blue. The Covid-19 lock-down grounded the majority of flights, and ana-lysts say that it could take years for aviation to get back to normal.
THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF A KEY INDUSTRY.
For more than 100 years, the automotive industry has relied on cars with internal combustion en-gines. Today, transformation is irrevocable. The Covid-19 pandemic makes it a truly Herculean task.
RAIL CHALLENGES OF A SINGLE EUROPEAN RAILWAY AREA.
European transport infrastructure reflects the complexity of Europe’s cross-border management tasks and its historic path dependency. Railway in-frastructure is a prominent example of this.
CROSS-BORDER MOBILITY CLOSING THE GAPS.
A well-connected cross-border railway system is the backbone of European transnational mobility. Yet many cross-border points still look like a patchwork reflecting a myriad of different national systems.
SHIPPING SETTING SAIL: CHALLENGES FOR SEA TRANSPORT.
Maritime transport is the most important, most efficient, but also dirtiest way of shipping goods. Not covered by the Paris Agreement, the indus-try is trying to set guidelines for a more environ-ment-friendly maritime transport.
TOURISM TRAVELLING SUSTAINABLY OR WITH THE CROWD?.
Tourism is a major economic sector in Europe. But its negative impacts on the environment and local communities raise concerns. Sustainable travel is growing, yet Covid-19 could change everything.
BICYCLE INDUSTRY GROWING AT SPEED.
Unlike many industries, the manufacture of bicy-cles keeps on growing. This is mainly driven by the sale of e-bikes. The ever-increasing demand for them seems to be helping the industry to recover rapidly from the impact of Covid-19.
CARGO BIKES SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT TRANSPORT.
Cargo bikes play a big role in avoiding motorised transport of goods. Many European cities operate successful cargo bike subsidy schemes. Commer-cial use, private ownership, sharing—all forms of cargo bike use are on the rise.
CYCLING COPENHAGEN THE MAKING OF A BIKE-FRIENDLY CITY.
Providing people with the options to safely walk, bike or use public transportation is paramount not only in creating a green and sustainable city, but also a liveable, people-friendly city.
ROAD SAFETY WANTED: STRATEGIES TO PROTECT THE WEAKEST.
Cyclists and pedestrians run a high risk of being killed in road traffic. At national and EU levels, a variety of initiatives aims to protect them better. However, more is needed to ensure effective pe-destrian and cyclist safety.
PUBLIC AND INTERMODAL TRANSPORT UNITE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.
The ‘last mile’ is often a key problem in public transport. Smartly planned intermodal intersec-tions and digitalisation offer a range of possibilities to close that gap in the transportation chain—even with solutions for individual mobility.
COSTS THE COSTS OF TRANSPORT.
Inefficiencies in the transport system are caused by false prices. A high amount of costs is passed from the polluter to the general public. This ‘exter-nalisation’ prevents fair competition in transport and must be changed.
DRIVE TECHNOLOGY CHARGING AHEAD.
The path going forward is clear: for road vehicles, electricity and alternative fuels will soon replace petrol and diesel. The climate protection potential of this move is high, but some problems still need to be solved along the way.
DIESELGATE THE DIESELGATE SCANDAL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED.
Detected five years ago, ‘Dieselgate’ remains partly unsolved, although national governments and the European Commission have offered a wide range of responses. Consumers criticise the scandal-handling by car manufacturers.
END-OF-LIFE VEHICLES FINAL DESTINATION.
Increasing mobility and trade as well as the shortening of a vehicle’s average life have led to a growing number of vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life in Europe.
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 SHAKEN AND SHIFTED.
Europe and the world have been hit by trans-national crises before the Covid-19 pandemic. And almost all of them had a severe impact on mobility and transport.
THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY ON THE ROAD TO INTEGRATED SERVICES.
Digitalisation has already changed urban micro- mobility. The next step is the development of a single app for all mobility services.
Click on the map to explore geographics
