European Mobility Week

European Mobility Week takes place every year from 16 to 22 September.  The aim is to encourage citizens and communities in many European countries to opt for more environmentally friendly modes of transport.  The theme of the 20^th event is "Safe & Healthy with Sustainable Mobility - Move Sustainably.  Stay Healthy."  This week-long event pays tribute to the difficulties encountered by all countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to highlight the opportunities for change that these difficulties inspire.

Sustainable mobility in Monaco:  safe and healthy!

The COVID-19 crisis has brought about change, and the use of digital technology in the world has increased.  This is one of the driving forces for achieving the objective set by the Prince's Government of reducing vehicle traffic by 20% by 2030.

As part of the mobility policy undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, innovative, sustainable transport options have been implemented for Monegasques, residents and commuters.  These have been supplemented with new features and applications, in conjunction with the Extended Monaco programme, by the Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition.

The aims are multiple, even cross-cutting:

- To offer a mobility system that encourages "soft" travel and alternatives to the private car:  public transport, carpooling, car sharing, cycling, etc.

- Improve traffic flow within the city, as well as facilitating accessibility and the flow of incoming and outgoing traffic.

- Reduce CO₂ emissions.

- Lay the foundations for intelligent urban development, in particular through the software capabilities of 5G.

- Create a more sustainable city.

Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, wished to recall on this occasion that "Mobility is a priority issue for the Principality.  The issues it raises invite us to change our behaviour.  In this respect, the Government is pursuing a proactive, ambitious policy that encourages public transport and 'soft' and shared mobility.  Digital technology offers users new possibilities for a more virtuous, less costly and more reliable form of mobility, in which they become the contributors and organisers."

"The health crisis has accelerated our action.  Today, digital technology plays an essential role in user mobility.  We have removed the obstacles and simplified users' journeys, thanks to easy-to-use applications, and have reinvented their way of travelling around to create more sustainable mobility in the Principality," commented Frédéric Genta, Country Chief Digital Officer.

 Among the actions proposed or implemented by the Prince's Government and adopted by users, we can highlight:

The MonaPass – this was launched in May 2021 and is the Principality's all-in-one mobility app.  It is supported by the Department of Forward Studies, Urban Planning and Mobility and the Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition, in partnership with the Monaco Bus Company and Monaco City Hall.  It encourages users to take public transport, offers better access to shared mobility and is developing multimodal transport.  Users can find all their transport tickets in just a few clicks.  It also enable users to pay for their tickets on line and, via the integrated Citymapper app, have access to real-time information (timetable, delays, alerts, availability and location of self-service vehicles and parking spaces).  By the end of the year, Mobee, the Principality's all-electric car-sharing service, will also be available as part of this offer.  Almost 7,000 people have already downloaded it.  The launch of this app is also accompanied by a new ticketing system on the buses, which has various advantages for users, such as the possibility of making a contactless payment with a bank card.

A year ago, a new car pooling scheme was launched in the Principality, based on an app by the Klaxit company, the French leader in short-distance carpooling.  Jointly supported by the Mission for Energy Transition, the Department of Forward Studies, Urban Planning and Mobility and the Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition, it is particularly well suited to commuting and is attracting more and more businesses and commuters.  The State is financing 100% of passenger journeys up to a maximum of 30 kilometres (18.64 miles) (until the end of 2021).  To date, more than 10,000 journeys have been co-financed, amounting to some 220,000 kilometres (136,701 miles).  This app is complemented by Waze, which provides real-time information, takes local factors into account and helps promote a better understanding of journeys.

Other initiatives to promote low-carbon mobility, supported by the Mission for Energy Transition, the Department of Urban Amenities and the Public Car Parks Office, should be highlighted, such as Monaco ON, the Principality's free electric recharging service.  It is easy to find, thanks to its bright yellow colour scheme.  Almost 1,000 free charging points (for four- and two-wheeled vehicles) are currently available in the Principality's public car parks, as well as 11 fast charging points on public highways.  This figure will increase to 22 by the end of the year.

As a reminder, since 1994, the Prince's Government has been pursuing a particularly attractive policy to promote electromobility, aimed at encouraging its use – a purchase subsidy, free charging, a discount on season tickets in public car parks, free overground parking and a free annual tax sticker.

Note that, as part of European Mobility Week, buses in the Principality will be free of charge on Sunday 19th September, to celebrate Public Transport Day.