At the South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency, we believe that the best approach in every case is to share our own experiences and thereby help shape attitudes towards mobility solutions. It is in this spirit that our professional article was written by our colleague Zsolt Pálmai.
In the first half of 2017, we assisted the European Committee of the Regions as experts in reviewing the European low-emission strategy. Our comments emphasised the greater utilisation of local renewable resources, the economic stimulus effect of sustainable urban mobility strategies, the emphasis on better accessibility in rural areas, the crucial role of financial resources, and sustainability in a general sense.
eBussed project
Our first international project related to the topic was implemented between 2019 and 2022 within the Interreg Europe Programme. In the eBussed project, we cooperated with our foreign partners for the wider use of electric buses. The main objectives focused on 1.) analysing incentives and barriers, 2.) technological aspects, 3.) driver training and passenger awareness-raising, and 4.) business models and public procurement.
PROMOTER project
Our second relevant project placed greater emphasis on the connection between eco-friendly mobility and efficient, local energy use. Within the PROMOTER Interreg Europe project, running from 2023 to 2026, learning is taking place primarily based on good and bad practices concerning the 1) legal, 2) organisational, 3) economic, 4) technological, and 5) operational and environmental interrelationships between mobility and local energy communities.
Skilled-eBus-Transition project
Our third and final project within the Erasmus+ Programme is a small-scale project entitled “Skilled-eBus-Transition”. Led by the Agency, the project aims to target two key groups influencing the wider adoption of electric buses: on the one hand, municipal staff and policy-makers, and on the other, managers and bus drivers of public transport companies. The role of each is crucial for the greening and electrification of local public transport.
The public transport related conclusions targeted by the three projects
- Environmentally friendly local transport cannot be implemented without strategic decisions by decision-makers and the preceding shaping of public attitudes.
- Since we have experience primarily regarding public transport, and within that the mobility provided by buses, it is important to highlight the importance of training local transport professionals, drivers, and support and maintenance personnel.
- Last but not least, local public transport is worthless without travelling passengers. Winning them over is crucial, and for this to happen, public transport must provide a genuine alternative in terms of price, timetable, and service quality for individuals, families, and smaller communities alike.
The author of the article: Pálmai Zsolt
Illustration: electric bus in Rēzekne, in the Latgale region of Latvia, PROMOTER project
Source: https://uzladets.lv/en/rezeknes-elektroautobusi-rekomendejusi/, accessed 8 August 2024.
The PROMOTER project is implemented within the Interreg Europe Programme, co-financed by the European Union and the Hungarian State.