Urban mobility and commuting

EU PUBLIC-PRIVATE SMART MOVE HIGH LEVEL GROUP Concluding public event, European Parliament, 15 May 2013 Urban mobility and commuting Michel Quidort, HLG rapporteur & Chairman of EPTO, Transdev INTRODUCTION: TIME FOR A NEW EU FRAMEWORK Bus, coach and taxi services are today one of the most dynamic, flexible and versatile elements of the public transport mobility chain. Connected and integrated with other public or private means of transportation, they form an essential element with a view to the objective of doubling the use and share of collective passenger transport in the European Union by 2025.

Fixed routes in urban and regional areas, motorway express lanes, transport on demand, para-transit, and taxi services provide all ranges of services, from high capacity bus rapid transit corridors in cities to customised solutions in low density or rural areas.

So far, European legislation has helped to create a framework for greater liberalisation and market opening. However, we believe a time has come to introduce European legislation that promotes travel by public transport over the use of the private car.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: A LOCAL BUSINESS The current financial situation is challenging future development of local and regional public transport and innovative new solutions will be required to attract private investment into passenger transport.

Public transport is a locally planned and organised business, requiring little regulation by European legislation. This should:   

include appropriate monitoring on support for public transport from direct and indirect funding sources, facilitate European-wide best practice exchange and create an open, fair and non-discriminatory legal framework which encourages entrepreneurial approach.

European legislation should be carefully assessed with input from the industry and in close cooperation with public transport authorities, leaving the solutions to be determined and implemented at the local level.

Regulation 1370/2007 on public passenger transport by rail and road in its future shape should remain the essential piece of legislation to achieve open, transparent and fair mechanisms to introduce and develop competition in the public transport market.

SOLUTIONS TO HELP DOUBLING THE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT In the short term, we need EU-wide solutions enabling our present and future customers to obtain travel information through technologies which can be easily connected with existing, locally developed systems.

In the medium term, we need sustainable transport plans which are integrated with and take account of land use and development policy. “Public transport plans” as proposed in the revised version of regulation 1370/2007 are more than welcome, provided they will not be too prescriptive or too detailed. They should include ways and means to reach the objective of doubling the use of public passenger transport by 2025.

An important step to promote the use of public transport over the use of the private car can be found in tax incentives. Working towards a fiscal system that would make greener transport solutions more attractive would help to prevent distortions of competition within the mobility chain.

In the long term, an assessment of the implementation of Regulation 1370/2007 would be useful: not only “to name and shame” stakeholders not implementing this legislation, but also to identify solutions to be flagged as success stories, which yield increases in patronage at the lowest and most equitable cost to society.

IN CONCLUSION An open suggestion our High Level Group would like to propose would be the creation of a future European Smart Move Citizen Mobility Forum ensuring that the objective of doubling is met and maintain collective passenger transport on the top of the EU political agenda.

Thank you for your attention. ***