During the Economic Forum, the theme “MOBILITY AND INTEGRATED SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FOR TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE” was discussed
- Sustainable public transport system
- MOVE IT like Lublin
In panel four, topics related to urban mobility were addressed, under aspects related to sustainable transport, sustainable public transport system, digital systems of traffic management in cities and urban tourism as a tool for city development.
As speakers were heads of municipal subdivisions, profile experts from Lublin, Poland and Valencia, Spain, economic agents who implemented projects with the use of alternative means of transport, experts in digital traffic management, developers of electronic payment systems at city level etc.
The head of the General Directorate of Public Transport and Communication Ways, Vitalie Mihalache, informed that currently over 600 trolleybuses and buses are running on the municipal public transport routes, of which 266 units have been purchased in the last 2 years. The amount invested for this purpose by the municipal authorities is 570 million lei. Chisinau City Hall is also interested in supplying the parks with new transport units, including small capacity ones, in order to be able to cover the service provided in as many areas as possible, including in neighborhoods with narrow streets. Thus, the objective for the year 2030 in the insurance with transport of the capital is to purchase another 300 new units.
In order to provide the necessary conditions and infrastructure for the use of alternative transport, more than 22 km of lanes dedicated to public transport, 19 km of lanes for cyclists, more than 22 km of repaired sidewalks and 90 parking lots for 600 bicycles were laid out in the capital. In this context, the deputy director of the Transport Directorate, Dumitru Ceban, mentioned that the desire of the local public authorities regarding urban mobility is for the car to become an alternative form of transport and for the trolleybus, the scooter and the bicycle to be used frequently.
Also, during the panels, successful experiences were presented regarding the digitization of city traffic monitoring systems, the implementation of the City Card, the importance of developing HUBs in cities, based on the experience of European cities, investment in the professions of the future, etc.
The implementation team and partners of the EU Project “MOVE IT like Lublin” – initiative for the sustainable development of public transport in the municipality of Chisinau presented this important project for the municipality. The project is financed by the European Union and implemented based on a partnership between Chisinau City Hall and Lublin City Hall in Poland. The project provides the necessary support to transform the city’s public transport services into a more inclusive, safer, more resilient and sustainable transport system. It provides for the improvement of urban transport policies at the municipal level; increasing the institutional capacities of Chisinau City Hall, in accordance with European Union practices in the field of urban mobility; increasing the quality of public transport management in Chisinau through sustainable innovative solutions and technologies.
Several activities have been carried out so far, including: the research of public transport legislation at the municipal and national level, the realization of the progress report on the implementation of the provisions of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement in the public transport sector, the elaboration of the study on the best prevention practices of COVID-19 in public transport and the implementation of the recommended measures, the organization of several thematic activities within the European Mobility Week, the realization of trainings for the representatives of the General Directorate of Public Transport and Communication Ways, the installation of bactericidal equipment in public transport, etc.
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is in the process of being implemented, a document that will be developed within 2 years by the company CIVITTA Strategy & Consulting S.A. and represents a strategic document for the municipality of Chisinau.
The ultimate goal of the PMUD is to promote a smart development of the city’s infrastructure to meet the basic mobility needs of all citizens, subsequently transforming it into a more accessible, inclusive and efficient city. The creation of the modern Traffic Monitoring Center is also in the process of implementation. The project is an important one for the municipality and supports the modernization of the public transport system in the capital.