Optimisation of Public Transport Policies for Green Mobility
Across Europe transport accounts for about 20 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, nearly half of those are related to passenger transport. To reduce the carbon footprint of mobility, public transport has to be strengthened, especially in rural and sub-urban regions that represent bottlenecks in public transport networks. As reasonably good infrastructures and moving stocks are available throughout Europe, policy improvements here can lever considerable reductions in carbon emissions. Those include better integration of different low-carbon transport modes (bicycle/e-mobility and public transport), better ticketing options (e.g. door-to-door mobility tickets), use of ICT to react in real-time to fluctuating demand (especially bus transport; e.g. flexible routing), timetable integration (between large city networks and sub-urban surroundings), higher passenger comfort (e.g. on-board WiFi allowing work and leisure online activities while in public transport) and promoting a better image of public transport (PR and participation). Through improved policies, public transport networks become more attractive, leading to more passengers and hence more financial means to further expand public transport.

OptiTrans partners engage in an interregional learning where these questions are addressed in thematic seminars and mutual peer reviews. Baseline studies and an investigation of good practices furthermore build capacities before lessons learnt are analysed with transport stakeholders and integrated in Action Plans. Policy improvements are anticipated in both ERDF ROP frameworks and mobility strategies in the partner regions. 

Involved project partners represent local and regional public authorities who are in charge of mobility/transport strategies, planning and implementing public transport. Each partner has therefore the necessary capacities to lead in Phase 2 the implementation of the Action Plan being produced in result of the Phase 1 capacity building process.