Commission plan lacks action for road safety and climate protection

30.09.2009: Urban Mobility Action Plan

Today, the European Commission published its long-awaited Urban Mobility Action Plan. Michael Cramer, transport spokesman of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, commented:

"The European Commission's Action Plan on Urban Mobility is a year late and incompatible with the EU's own targets on improving road safety and tackling climate change.

The question of road accidents in urban areas goes completely unanswered. If the EU is serious in its pledge to halve the number of road deaths by 2010 (1), it must propose firm action. The Greens propose to introduce a flat rate speed limit of 30 km/h in urban areas, which cities can increase in appropriate zones.

The EU could also gain real leverage in communities of over 100,000 inhabitants by only granting European funding to cities that have developed a sustainable mobility plan. This Greens proposal was adopted in the European Parliament Savary report in April, but has not been taken up by the Commission.

The EU has set targets to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20% by 2020 but the Commission's Action Plan fails to address urban traffic, which accounts for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in cities. EU transport support is still heavily biased towards road, which receives 60% of financing, compared to 20% for rail (2) and 0.9% for bicycle infrastructure. 90% of all car trips in cities are shorter than 6 km, ideal distances for using public transport, cycling or walking, yet the Commission's plan offers no measures that would make a real difference to urban mobility."