European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc highlighted the potential of micromobility (electric scooters, bicycles, monorails, etc.), particularly in terms of decongestion and reducing emissions, as well as the challenges related to its development, on Monday 14 October at a conference in Ljubljana.
“Properly addressed, micromobility can play a significant role in achieving Vision Zero: zero pollution and emissions, zero deaths and serious injuries, zero traffic congestion at the European, national and local levels”, said Ms Bulc.
According to her, although micromobility has various benefits, such as ease of use and the reduction of congestion in cities, its development requires meeting certain challenges, particularly in terms of road safety and sustainability.
On the latter point, a study published in early August by the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters, for example, showed that, contrary to what one might think, electric scooters do not necessarily reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector.
Thus, the environmental impact of these scooters depends heavily on the materials used to manufacture them, as well as on the collection methods used for recharging them and then distributing them throughout the city (use of energy-efficient vehicles, distance travelled by the vehicles used for collection).
To consult the study: https://bit.ly/30VIcts (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)