Photo by Luis Wittenberg on Unsplash A 20 km/h factory-set speed limit, larger wheels, a ban on passengers and pavement riding, compulsory helmets and a minimum age of 16. These are some of the recommendations set out in a new report on safer technical standards for e-scooters and safer e-scooter usage rules in Europe, published by the European…
Transport
Reform of Driving Licence Rules
Photo by aranprime on Unsplash The Commission has presented proposals to modernise driving licence rules, including the introduction of a digital driving licence valid throughout the EU, and new provisions to facilitate the enforcement of traffic rules across borders. More than 20,000 lives were lost on EU roads last year and the majority of victims were pedestrians, cyclists and users of…
Improving European Road Safety
Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash The European Transport Safety Council has welcomed significant changes to EU rules on driving licences and cross-border enforcement of traffic offences. It says these could significantly reduce injuries and deaths among novice drivers and help ensure that dangerous drivers face penalties for a wider range of traffic offences committed across…
Ukrainian Railways Wins Europe’s Rail Champion Award
Photo by Todd Trapani on Unsplash The 2023 European Railway Award has been held in Brussels in a 16th edition strongly marked by current events in Ukraine and the sector’s commitment to diversity. The Rail Champion prize was presented to Ukrainian Railways (UZ) for their “remarkable resilience and continuation of transport services in times of war and unimaginable hardship.” Additionally, Eglė Šimė was recognised as…
Take off for airline’s first flight powered with environment-friendly fuel
The airline industry says it is “flying the flag” to help minimise CO2 emissions and reach net zero emissions by 2050. The sector has already made “great strides” in fuel efficiency and conservation. One such initiative is the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) which is approved for use in all aircraft but only in blends…
Electrification: Alarming New ETUI Report
Electrification has simply substituted dieselisation, without any change in the business model or in the EU regulatory framework, reveals an alarming ETUI report. The ‘Fit for 55’ revision of the CO2 regulation for new cars and vans will not only keep reinforcing the trend towards heavier and more powerful vehicles but it will also drastically…
Don’t Leave Behind the Elderly
Elderly people and those with a disability “must not be left behind” in Europe’s rush to digitilization, an international conference on transport mobility was told. The conference heard that new technologies such as artificial intelligence will have a crucial role to play in transforming Europe’s transport eco system. But, in any debate about the future…
Decarbonisation of Transport
Senior MEP Carlo Fidanza has warned that while alternative fuel infrastructure plays an important role in the decarbonisation of transport, locking the industry more and more into electromobility “will not solve Europe’s future mobility problems.” The member spoke out after the adoption of a revised fuels infrastructure by the majority of the European Parliament. He…
Kirovohrad Region: Planning for Investment and Development in Ukraine
I spoke at the Brussels Press Club with Mr Serhii Shulha, the Chairman of the Kirovohrad Regional Council, the central agrarian region of Ukraine that lies just 150 km from the front line where Ukrainian military defence against the Russian invasion are taking place. He was in Brussels on a two-day trip to lobby for…
Transport and Mobility Innovation
Some of Europe’s brightest young innovators will get a chance to showcase their talents – and products – at a major international conference in Lisbon later this year. The Transport Research Arena (TRA) event is said to be the largest European research and technology conference on transport and mobility. In 2022, the TRA takes place in…