How can cities spur the shift from private cars to public transportation?

The urban reality is very different from that of a rural area. In rural areas, many people drive every day. People who are forced to take their cars must be given the opportunity to park them at the station, and then opt for the train or another mode of transport to continue their journey. It’s all about changing habits and rethinking mobility more strategically.

In Amsterdam, for example, we have a system that allows residents to park their cars outside the city. They pay €1 a day and then take the tram or bus into the city center. We’re aiming to develop this type of system and strengthen our links with other cities, to encourage people to leave their cars, especially outside the city.

Above all, I believe that the city needs to be well planned, and to achieve this we need to collaborate with those involved in urban planning, traffic management, spatial zones and energy transition. It’s not a project that’s going to happen overnight; we need transitions so that people can adapt. Citizen dialogue is essential if we are to work together to find solutions.

I also think we need to facilitate access to clean mobility. This means :

• Charging infrastructure,
• Bicycle lanes, for which we simply need to make more space on the streets.
• A different conception of our space to leave more room for public transport, pedestrians… This means minimizing the space allocated to the car in public space.

I think people are becoming aware of the benefits, but of course, change is always met with resistance. That’s why the beginning will be difficult, but they will see that by reducing the number of cars in the city, their living space will be better.