Showcasing success cases in Catalonia

European Mobility Week is an annual campaign aimed at raising public awareness about the use of public transport. Also, other forms of mobility such as cycling or walking. It encourages European member cities to promote these modes of transport and invest in the necessary and relevant resources.

Every year in September, a wide range of activities are carried out to promote the use of public transport and other forms of mobility. The aim is to help reduce the number of cars and private vehicles on our roads. Also, to inform citizens about the current state of long-term mobility policies in European cities and provide a different vision of urban environments.

The peak of the European Mobility Week is World Car-Free Day, September 22, when motorized traffic is restricted in selected areas of participating cities. Instead, citizens are encouraged to stop using their cars for a day and try new means of transport.

Car-Free Day is also a great opportunity for local administrations to collect large amounts of data and information for the thorough study of the performance of mass public transport. Also, on citizens’ behavior and how they manage mobility when private cars are not an option. Not to mention the obvious environmental benefits of significantly reducing vehicle emissions, even if only for one day.

As every year, the city of Barcelona participated in European Mobility Week and Car-Free Day initiatives, opening up participation to companies, organizations, and civil groups. The City Council invited Shotl to participate in a presentation and round table on mobility and innovation. This was part of a strategy to raise public awareness of alternative uses of the space usually occupied by private vehicles.

Shotl’s Solutions Engineer, Sergi Paniagua, took the opportunity to explain to a public audience the use case of On-Demand Transport. This form of transport is becoming ever-more widespread in cities at the forefront of technological innovations and environmental sustainability. He pointed out that “By increasing ridership, we optimize journeys and take vehicles off the streets.” Mr. Paniagua also added “When we travel to low density areas we need to cover longer distances. Buildings are scattered and demand for transportation is lower, so the cost to the public administration increases. This makes public transport very inefficient and unable to compete against private vehicles. We believe On-Demand Transport should be the layer between taxis and regular buses that is currently occupied by private vehicles.”

You can watch below Shotl’s presentation in Barcelona during European Mobility Week.