- DE |
- EN
Reducing Air Pollution by Climate-Friendly Means of Urban Transport and Establishment of a Low-Emission Zone in Kragujevac, Serbia
Expert mission from 11 - 13 March 2019
As a follow-up to the Regional Dialogue and Practitioners´ Workshop on "Sustainable urban mobility and climate change" that took place from 20th – 22nd February, 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia (information can be found here), an expert mission by two German urban practitioners from the cities of Hagen and Heidelberg took place from March 11 – 13, 2019 to support local stakeholders in Kragujevac to elaborate a concept to establish a clean air zone in the city.
The Environmental Protection Department of the city of Kragujevac identified air pollution as the most serious and urgent environmental problem in the city. The municipality acknowledged the necessity to formulate an air quality plan as a step towards more sustainable transport in the city – counteracting the most dominant source of air pollution: motorized traffic. The plan is backed by local and national legislations and policies, involving different actors from the public and private sector, from local residents to higher levels of governmental institutions, as well as academia and NGOs. Besides the establishment of the Local Environmental Action Plan (2010), the Kragujevac Sustainable Development Strategy (2012-2022) and the Transport Development Strategy of the City of Kragujevac (2012-2022), the city is seeking further effective strategies towards clean air. Thereby, the municipality faces different challenges, such as a lack of funding, low-level awareness of all stakeholders and a lack of required expertise.
During the mission the German experts provided insights from practical experience in Hagen and Heidelberg where low emission zones have already been established or are envisaged within the scope of sustainable urban mobility. During a workshop together with local actors they identified key issues on how to trigger change towards sustainable urban mobility in Kragujevac.
It became evident that interventions need to focus on legal aspects as well as on establishing a strategic process that connects decision-makers and civic initiatives to establish a solid basis for initiating change processes. These should address increasing the use of public transport, enhancing the attractivity of cycling, and creating public awareness for non-motorized means of transport.
Some principles and cornerstones of a local transformation process should comprise the following:
- Integrated thinking and action: urban development, construction, mobility, economy, climate, energy, waste, water, soil management, should all be considered in the urban context.
- The existing railway line should not be seen as a separation, but as the main development axis for public transport development.
- To expand public transport services, those should be tendered on a longer-term basis (compared with the current practice by local government to issue frequent and short-term contracts). Costs should be billed by number of passengers.
- For citizens and for socially disadvantaged population groups public transport incentives should be created (such as environmental, family, school tickets, etc.).
- Policies and politics to prioritize cars should be modified and at best abandoned. This includes extending green public space, reducing parking space and increasing the price of parking, according to pollutant classes.
- The establishment of an environmental zone should be considered when critical EU limits are reached.
- Promoting cycling and pedestrian traffic and creating required infrastructure to make non-motorized mobility attractive.
- Leadership should be shown by the local government and its officials, e.g by shifting to car sharing, electric cars or bicycles.
- The shadow economy consisting of illegal taxis and mini buses will have to be reduced significantly as to make public transport more attractive.
- While political lobby work for the transformation process together with a communication concept and active media work will have to be pursued, the regulatory authority to monitor the measures taken will have to be strengthened.
All measures should culminate in the elaboration of a comprehensive sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP) in the near future, in the process of which all relevant stakeholders must be involved.
