This year’s European Mobility Week theme is “Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Mobility”, and it starts today in 3000 cities and 50 countries. 26 towns and municipalities in Serbia will participate by organising car-free days, bicycle rides, rollerblade rides, workshops, shows, exhibitions and other events.

“A clean, smart and resilient traffic system is the core of our economy and is crucial for people’s lives. That is why, on the 20th anniversary of European Mobility Week, I am proud of 3,000 cities across Europe and beyond for showing how safe and sustainable transport opportunities help our communities stay connected in these challenging times,” said EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean.

Permanent measures for the improvement of sustainable mobility that were initiated in Belgrade, Aleksinac, Boljevac, Čajetina, Užice, Kruševac, Niš, Osečina, Pirot and Vlasotince will remain after the European Mobility Week.

In Belgrade, the bicycle network has been improved by creating completely new bicycle lanes, renovating existing ones, putting new signs and marking paths, installing chargers for electric bicycles and launching the “Free-floating bike sharing” system.

Belgrade also worked on increasing the area of pedestrian zones, building new pedestrian bridges, pavements and crossings. Public transport services have been improved with the introduction of new technologies, ecological vehicles, tactile paving and easier access for wheelchairs.

The city of Kruševac, the winner of the European Mobility Week 2019 award, stands out once again this year by having improved its cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. In addition, Kruševac is working on a study on the development of public transport and the organisation of regular public opinion polls on mobility management, as well as on collecting ideas and opinions of citizens.

In Niš, in addition to the improvement of facilities for sharing and storing bicycles, the conditions for people with disabilities will be improved, as well as traffic safety in school zones.

The adoption of the Sustainable Mobility Plan for the period 2021-2031 was announced in Aleksinac, and the field research on the attitudes and behaviour of pedestrians over 65 is conducted Pirot.

The city of Kikinda will organise the distribution of safety fluorescent vests for high school students, a recreational race. A walk and a bicycle tour, and educational workshops for kindergartens and primary schools will be held in Kula.

Safe and healthy cycling on the EuroVelo 6 route, which is passing next to the international Danube river Route, is organised by the EU Info Point Novi Sad, while EU Info Point Niš organises the “Street art” action and decoration of shop windows with sustainable mobility theme and cycling tour through Niš.

Like last year, the city of Belgrade, together with the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and the coordinator of the entire mobility week SCTM, is organising the main event on Republic Square and a Car-free day.

At the main event, prizes will be awarded for the photo competition titled “Sustainable mobility for a healthier life”. The topic of the competition is cycling, scootering, rollerblading, walking, and all other types of non-motorised transportation. The first prize, a voucher for the purchase of an electric scooter, is awarded by the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, and the second and third prizes, vouchers for the purchase of a bicycle and a rollerblades, are provided by UNDP. Photos from the competition will be exhibited in the square.

Interactive promotional activities are organised in Belgrade throughout the mobility week with the participation of interested citizens. New bicycle paths, new promenade “Lazaro Kardenas” in New Belgrade, and safe zones around the “Branko Radičević” Elementary School will be promoted and presented. A pedestrian week, children’s shows, a bicycle festival, a traffic safety promotion with a car driving simulator, a bicycle race with free shopping tips and a bicycle service were organised.

A significant portion of the programme is occupied by the promotion of e-mobility. All categories of e-vehicles (cars, motorcycles, bicycles and scooters) will be promoted. In addition to the two charging stations for electric cars, there will be presentations of projects in the field of e-mobility.

Special attention is paid to the importance of walking for human health, so citizens will be able to measure their blood sugar levels before and after the promotional city walk.

European Mobility Week is a great opportunity for local communities to come together and discuss various aspects of mobility and air quality, to look for innovative solutions to reduce car use, to try out new technological and planning solutions. The campaign allows citizens to explore new possibilities for using city streets and to experiment with practical solutions that contribute to solving important issues for cities, such as air pollution.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the European Mobility Week, under the slogan “Move sustainably. Stay healthy.” Cities and municipalities from Serbia have been participating in the European Mobility Week from the very beginning, and in recent years the number of cities and municipalities from Serbia that participate in the Mobility Week has been constantly growing. The city of Kruševac had the most success in organising the event, and in 2019, it received the award from the European Commission for the best-organised event in entire Europe.