European Mobility Week culminated with the 'In town without my car!' campaign today. One of the main aims of this day was to challenge car-dependent lifestyles, and to make citizens aware that there are other solutions to their mobility needs. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP), an official partner of the Mobility Week campaign, has been conducting a round-up of the innovative ways that public transport was celebrated as a key contributor to a sustainable future for Europe and beyond.

Public transport for work and play

"It is well known that the highest levels of congestion in urban centres are caused by those commuting to work," said Wolfgang Meyer, UITP President. "We were therefore pleased to see that many of the campaign efforts focused on persuading employees to leave their cars at home and turn to public transport instead." For instance, a voluntary parking charge was imposed at the main work sites of Brent, UK, and in Copenhagen, Denmark, a special campaign on getting to work without the car was initiated.

However, work is not the only cause of congestion. Large entertainment centres outside city limits can create traffic similar to that of a small city. A number of initiatives took place on car-free day to promote public transport as the preferred means of transport to such leisure centres. For instance, in Luxembourg, residents of Mersch were able to use a free bus service to and from the nearest cinema complex.

'Intermodalism'

Today was seized as an ideal opportunity to promote integrated intermodal travel solutions, or 'clever combinations' as they were dubbed in Cologne, Germany. Cannes, France, saw the launch of the 'Carte d'Azur', a truly intermodal pass, costing just two euro for two-days' unlimited travel on all urban and inter-urban transport networks in the Maritime Alpine region.

Connecting urban trams and buses with regional railways is an excellent way to increase the accessibility of cities. The Belgians promoted such inter-connectivity with a special 'Train-Tram-Bus' day during their Mobility Week.

Intermodalism is not just about integrating different forms of collective transport. It also should incorporate individual modes of transport where necessary. "Not everyone lives just a short walk from a station, so the private car is an important feeder to public transport interchanges," explained Mr Meyer. In Ireland, car-free day coincided with the national football final, which was held in a stadium near the centre of Dublin. 'Park and ride' was promoted as the best way for the masses to get to this event.

Passenger information

According to Mr Meyer: "Providing the customer with easy-to-follow information on fares, timetables, routes and services is essential if public transport is to become more accessible and attractive". This need was recognised in Rome, Italy, where 17 information and ticket points were inaugurated to facilitate collective transport. In Manchester, UK, the car-free day campaign was used to showcase recent public transport information initiatives: a new website and journey planner, information kiosks, and an enhanced telephone journey-planning service. The key message of the campaign is 'all the information that you need is available at the click of a mouse or by making a local call'.

Special offers

Free travel or special offers were other measures used to encourage people to 'go public' today. For example, the public transport authority of west Sweden had a promotion allowing two people to travel on all lines (train, ferry, bus and tram) for the price of one. In Utrecht, the Netherlands, yearly bus pass holders were allowed to invite three extra passengers to travel with them today. And in an effort to change mobility habits from a young age and to ensure that public transport is the way of the future, children under 12 could travel free-of-charge in Cologne, Germany.

- ENDS

UITP will publish a full-report on public transport initiatives for European Mobility Week later this year.

For more information please contact

Cara McLaughlin, UITP Head of Press and Media Relations (Tel: + 32 2 663 66 39, cara.mclaughlin@uitp.com).

About UITP

Founded in 1885, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international organisation for public transport authorities, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport industry. It is a platform for worldwide co-operation and the sharing of know-how between its 2,000 members from some 80 countries. UITP aims to study all aspects of public transport and mobility in order to promote the development of more efficient and attractive public transport services and to gain the maximum benefit from the latest available technology. The next UITP World Congress will be held in Madrid, Spain, from 4 to 8 May 2003.

About European Mobility Week and 'In town without my car!'

European Mobility Week (16-22 September) was organised for the first time this year, with the participation of 320 cities. A wide range of initiatives tackling different aspects of sustainable urban mobility were carried out on each day of the week in partnership with local organisations and associations. More than 1,300 cities in 35 countries established car-free zones in large parts of their town centres for the 'In town without my car' day on 22 September, enabling their citizens to re-discover their home town by public transport, bicycle or on foot.

For more information visit www.mobilityweek-europe.org.