The CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe says the organisation is taking an active role in the development of micromobility as part of the diverse mobility mix to ensure their safe and efficient use across the continent.

Speaking ahead of a major “Focus On” Partnership event on the subject in London tomorrow, Thursday 7 December, Joost Vantomme explained that ERTICO is using its experience and expertise in innovation through technology, standards and regulation to help manage and promote the uptake ofnew transport modes. ERTICO is organising this event in close collaboration with the UK’s Transport Technology Forum with whom it signed an engagement plan at the ITS European Congress in Lisbon, May 2023.

“We don’t yet have an official definition of all these kinds of vehicles – ebikes, escooters, speed pedelecs, cargo bikes, tandems, velomobiles and their docking stations – it’s all very much market driven,” he said.  “Maybe that’s good for pioneering new things, not stigmatising too much through regulation, but there’s a call more and more for increased oversight from authorities.

“I will, in my speech, highlight the technology and regulatory elements to cook the meal the basic goal of safety, sustainability, and getting people towards diverse mobility modes.”

The event, hosted jointly with the TTF, looks at a wide range of low-speed vehicles using human power and/or electrical assistance. It will look at the role these vehicles should play in urban and suburban mobility, their benefits and issues to be addressed, and the role in Intelligent Transport Systems both in terms of facilitating sustainable and seamless mobility and also in terms of multimodal traffic and road space management.

“We’ll talk about the dynamic usage of space on the roads, and issues like safe parking, but also the digital infrastructure,” Mr Vantomme explained.  “That brings us to our technology angle, to the angle of sharing data and the potential for innovation through ITS.  We’ll look at technology – which is our bread and butter – alongside the infrastructure, as well as user confidence, projects, policies and legislation.”

 The Focus On event will also feature panel sessions with micromobility stakeholders sharing their views on these important topics while a third session will focus on the regulatory options that cities and national decision-makers already have at their disposal.  It takes place at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, NW1 2BJ, London from 10am-4pm tomorrow (7 December). 

(File Picture – TfL)

The organisers of next year’s ITS World Congress in Dubai are reminding potential speakers at technical sessions that they only have two more weeks to submit their ideas for consideration.

Director of Communications, Congresses and Events, Lisa Boch-Andersen has written to the industry saying she wants to ensure that your valuable contributions reach us on time. 

You can submit your contribution here before the deadline of 15 December.

To guarantee a seamless submission, would-be participants are encouraged to create a profile here. This preliminary step is described as crucial to ensuring that you are well-equipped to submit your contributions smoothly. 

The event takes place in Dubai from 16-20 September 2024.

(Picture – ERTICO)

European Intelligent Transport Systems organisation ERTICO – ITS Europe is hosting a Focus On event on micromobility on 7 December in London.

In its invitation, the organisation says: Micromobility encompasses a wide range of low-speed (generally under 25 km/h) vehicles using human power (active travel, e.g. pedal cycles and kick-scooters) and/or electrical assistance.

Although the pedal cycle is one of the oldest modes of transport, the more recent advent of e-bikes, e-scooters, monowheels, etc. as well as short-term hire and sharing schemes in cities, brought about the term micromobility from the end of the 1990s.

The great variety of micromobility vehicles in recent years (size, speed, legal classification), has led to a debate on the role these vehicles should play in urban and suburban mobility, their benefits and issues to be addressed. While most cities are increasing road space for active travel (in particular cycle lanes), there is discussion on what new micromobility modes can use them.

Another point is the use of urban space for micromobility parking, particularly by operator of shared vehicles. The degree of regulation of sharing operators, road use by different kinds of light vehicles, safety aspects and integration into urban transport networks are key issues.

The role of ITS both in terms of facilitating sustainable and seamless mobility and also in terms of multimodal trac and road space management, is a key discussion topic, with cities looking for the best responses to mobility changes and new business models which may be innovative but also disruptive.

This Focus On will feature two panel sessions with micromobility stakeholders sharing their views on these important topics while a third session will focus on the regulatory options that cities and national decision-makers have at their disposal.

The event takes place from 10:00-16:00 at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, NW1 2BJ, London, UK.

To register, click here.

(Picture – Dott)

Following the newly adopted European Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe, shares his insights on the importance of this legislation and what opportunities it entails for the entire industry. He emphasises ERTICO’s unique thought leadership role and gives examples of some key activities which are in line with the updated Directive. Facilitating the digital transformation of transportation is at the heart of ERTICO and efficiency is a key component which mirrors the updates made from the previous legislation dating to 2010. Joost Vantomme’s final remarks in the interview touch upon the five-year framework and forthcoming publication on implementation central to ERTICO and the wider support to assist the European Commission, the Member States as well as national ITS organisations.

What is the new European framework about?

The Directive aims to promote coordinated deployment of intelligent transport systems across Europe. It provides a framework for developing and implementing technologies to improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of transportation systems within the European Union (EU).

On 23 October 2023, the Council of Ministers of the EU adopted the long-awaited revised ITS directive following the agreement of the European Parliament. This process was initiated in 2021 by the European Commission after an extensive consultation period with the public and private actors, including ERTICO-ITS Europe.

The new European legislation should ensure that ITS applications in the field of road transport enable seamless integration with other modes of transport, such as rail or active mobility, thus facilitating a shift to those modes whenever possible, to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Why is this relevant for ERTICO and its Partners?

Innovation and ITS is the DNA of ERTICO. Our public-private European partnership was founded in 1991 at the initiative of 15 industry leaders and the European Commission to fill the gap between research and deployment of transport & mobility services. ‘Connecting the dots’ across eight sectors across the ecosystem is our motto.

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