Last month, the European Parliament’s TRAN Committee released a rapid response briefing providing an overview on the state of play and trends of urban transport since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It outlines four scenarios, the prevalence of one or the other depending on the priorities established by policy makers and service providers. The briefing delivers general recommendations for a post-COVID-19 smart and sustainable urban transport and a set of desirable actions on how to integrate EU response into existing policy priorities.
Key findings are the following:
- Authorities and operators all over the world had to respond quickly to the pandemic and
find rapid and efficient solutions to guarantee safe mobility. - The use of public transport and shared mobility services decreased dramatically during and
immediately after the lockdown, while citizens prefer(red) private vehicles such as cars and
bicycles, but also walking. - Last mile freight distribution has proven to be an essential service during the lockdown,
providing grocery and goods to households. E-commerce is likely to keep growing. - The evolution of urban mobility trends will depend on the pre-COVID-19 situation of each
city and country and on policies that will be promoted at the European, national and local
level with four scenarios being identified - All EU interventions for a full recovery of mobility and connectivity should be aligned with
the strategies already in place and should not overlook the challenges identified therein. - Multimodality and radical modal shift will occur if policy-makers integrate the offer of new
and traditional mobility services within local transport policies. - Data sharing and interoperability is needed to manage safety-related aspects such as
physical distancing, contactless transactions, and flexible timetables.
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