Pilot Mobility Points have been set up at four locations in the Hungarian capital to provide a test environment for the use of environmentally friendly micro-mobility devices and to complement traditional modes of transport. This marked another important milestone in the international Cities-4-People project where Budapest Municipality, the Budapest Transport Center BKK, and the Institute of Transport Sciences participate as partners.
An eco-friendly complement to traditional transport
Mobility Points are places where bicycle rental, electric scooter, and car-sharing systems can be used by those travelling in the capital. These micro-mobility devices provide assistance in an environmentally friendly way, typically for short-distance travel, replacing the use of one’s own car. In addition to the environmental aspects, the creation of the network is also intended to complement traditional means of transport, i.e. to provide an opportunity to combine different modes of transport and to gain experience in this field.
With the approval of the Budapest General Assembly and the Újbuda Municipality, pilot Mobility Points were established at 4 locations in Újbuda: in St. Gellert Square, in Egry József Street, on Magyar tudósok Boulevard, and at the Infopark tram stop.
At these locations, continuous measurements are carried out by the project specialists, using feedback from Budapest residents and guests. The start of the test period of the Mobility Points network in the spring was significantly delayed by the coronavirus epidemic. However, project participants are confident that the autumn period can provide valuable results and experiences.
Cities-4-People: in partnership for a more sustainable and liveable city
According to the Deputy Mayor for Smart Cities and Participation Gábor Kerpel-Fronius, the Cities-4-People project is a good example of a city government trying out new measures by asking for public opinion and analyzing the feedback. He adds that the aim of the process is to make Budapest more sustainable and liveable.
László Sándor Kerényi, Director of Strategy and Innovation at BKK Cities-4-People says the project is a great opportunity to build partnerships with shared mobility providers, which can be the basis for a long-term ongoing collaboration. With the Mobility Points, the Capital and BKK also aim to create a storage area for shared mobility devices, adds Kerényi.
Launched in 2017, the 3-year Research-Development-Innovation project Cities-4-People was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework program. The project aims to address the local, district-level transport challenges of 5 European cities (Trikala, Hamburg, Oxford, Istanbul – Üsküdar, and Budapest) by designing, implementing and evaluating test interventions. The target area of the project in Budapest is Újbuda – the Buda section of the Danube bank between the Margaret Bridge and the Technical University quay.
Source: TheMayor.EU
