More and more inhabitants of the European Union point to the growing problems caused by increasingly intensive transport in and around the cities. According to the European Commission, 38% of EU citizens complain about travel problems after urban agglomerations, similarly in the Czech Republic, which is 37%. The difficulties associated with commuting are considered by many residents to be more stressful than self-employment. The problem is beginning to be so serious that the European Commission is also being systematically involved in it.
Since 2002, the European Mobility Week has been regularly announced from 16 to 22 September. Its main purpose is to motivate leaders and urban residents and other relevant stakeholders to think about how to fundamentally change that situation for the better. This is a complex issue, including transport safety, environmental issues, the impact of transport quality on interpersonal relationships, traffic congestion and all related societal economic consequences.
This year's European Mobility Week is under the slogan "Sharing Forward!" "Sharing does not understand that people travel together in one vehicle. The essence of the idea is, on the contrary, the existence of a mediation platform that ensures the interconnection of the service providers and their users. As a rule, it will be built on modern information and communication technologies. In order to share cars, motorcycles, bicycles, the system can also be used to book taxi services or car pooling, where a driver who travels to a destination in advance offers a ride to other people, usually for a fee, " explains Roman Budský from the Road Team security.
Shared mobility, sophisticated by linking the possibilities of walking around urban agglomerations on foot, by bicycle, means of urban and suburban public transport, using car sharing, etc. will allow to reduce the total number of kilometers traveled. This will reduce the traffic load on the streets and at the same time contribute to improving the quality of the environment. Especially when modern, environmentally-friendly vehicles are used as well as modern computer science used in urban traffic management. Another benefit should be a reduction in traffic congestion, which is 1 per cent of GDP per year in the European Union.
Sharing cars? Nothing for Bohemia ...
There is much talk about car sharing. The European Commission states that one shared car in operation will replace about 15 private cars. In addition, those involved in the program will travel 40 percent less. The EC data show that a quarter of the EU's population is convinced that car pooling or car sharing will improve the quality of city transport. The biggest optimists are 49% French followed by Luxembourg (40%) and Sweden (37%). "On the contrary, Czechs and Latvians are the biggest skeptics with 9% of positive answers. I personally think that there is still a strong cult of ownership of a passenger car and, moreover, we do not believe in the positive effect of mutual cooperation or agreement, " says Roman Budský.
How can we exploit the potential of modern information technology?
The basis of the philosophy of smart cities as well as effective shared mobility is a sophisticated mediation platform based on modern information technology. How do EU citizens assess their capacity to harness their potential? According to data published by the European Commission in May this year, 75% of EU citizens (82% of Czechs) see the positive impact of information technology on the economy, 67% on quality of life (Czechs 66%) and 64% on Czechs (64% . We believe in the potential of information technology in the Czech Republic. Worse, however, is the ability to use it :
• While 71% of the EU population declare their ability to use digital technology in their everyday life, 67% in the Czech Republic. The best is in the Netherlands (90%), the worst in Hungary (52%).
• 65% of the EU population is able to use available online public services, only 54% in the CR. The best are the Swedes (88%), the worst Hungarians (45%).
• Equal 80% of people in the EU are able to use the IT potential in their work, 71% of Czechs. Sweden's absolute stars are 96%, Hungary's last place is 58%.
• Profit from IT control and online courses in self-education can be 64% of the EU population, in the Czech Republic only 54%. In the best Sweden this is 86, in the worst Hungary 47% of the citizens.
• If an average EU citizen thinks of a change of profession or job over the next 12 months, he believes in his ability to control information technology in 73% of cases. In Bohemia it is only 66%. Swedes are 90% best prepared, on the contrary, Greeks with 54% are on the very tail.
So far, nearly 2,200 cities from 46 countries around the world have joined the European Mobility Week. These are all EU Member States28 and Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea and the USA, for example. The most involved cities are in Austria (564), Spain (428) and Hungary (201). "There are 24 cities in the Czech Republic, including Prague, Brno, Liberec, Ústí nad Labem and Zlín. 22 cities declare that they will carry out various support actions within the Week, 15 will support longer-term activities and finally 13 will announce the Day without Cars on 22 September, " concludes Roman Budsky.
Source: tz, edited editorially