Mobility

Carbon emissions from transport will still account for 44% of Europe’s total in 2030. The sector's decarbonisation comes with broad challenges, including industrial transformation to scale new technologies, secure local green jobs, and ramp up new supply chains. Transport & Environment's Julia Poliscanova looks at the building blocks of a successful mobility transition for the next European Commission. 

The ‘last mile’ is often a key problem in public transport. Smartly planned intermodal intersections and digitalisation offer a range of possibilities to close that gap in the transportation chain—even with solutions for an individual mobility.

The technical problems with international rail in Europe are quite well understood. But are there ways to improve the situation while not challenging the fundamental status quo? Ways where, at the border, some basic changes could improve matters for international railway travellers?

Mobility is not gender neutral. This not only pertains to individual mobility, but also to the transport and planning sectors themselves, which are heavily dominated by men. Social stereotypes and role distribution within a predominantly male workforce, as well as care work mostly carried out by females, do the rest to create an environment that is aligned with male needs.

Every passenger aims to get from point A to B as quickly, easily and affordably as possible. For persons with reduced mobility, one cannot talk of fair and equal access. European mobility can only be sustainable if public transport is accessible for everybody. Otherwise, users will always revert to the solution of motorised private transport. Consequently, the freedom of mobility is strongly related to the question of accessibility to the different means of transport for everybody.