The European Green Deal includes a target to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050. The Commission intends to adopt a comprehensive strategy to meet this target and ensure that the EU transport sector is fit for a clean, digital and modern economy. To this end, the EC has published a Roadmap to inform citizens and stakeholder about the work planned ahead.

EPF reacted to the Roadmap publication as follows:

The European Passengers’ Federation EPF welcomes the development of a strategy on Sustainable and Smart Mobility. We expect this strategy to be thought of from the user’s point of view and to avoid a one-sided focus on the transport operator. The identification of customer requirements that lead to a modal shift in favour of environmentally friendly public transport must be the starting point of the strategy.

The Eurobarometer survey on current mobility patterns, challenges and willingness to switch behaviours from September 2019 is a good starting point for this. It should be complemented by some essential but continuously measured KPIs, at least in the field of service quality. This would allow a continuous assessment of the effectiveness of all measures and a comparison between transport modes and transport companies.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the fundamental need to think of transport systems and services from a cross-border and user perspective and to prepare for crises. In this crisis, uncoordinated action has led in some cases to a situation where even those critical of the system were no longer able to meet mobility needs, especially at borders.

EPF is prepared to play an active role in the further processing as a representative of customers and users of any means of transport.