“Let’s move better – save energy!” is the slogan of this year’s European Mobility Week, which starts on Saturday.

Every year in the period from September 16 to 22, a manifestation is held, which is founded and sponsored by the European Commission. The campaign aims to favour non-motorised modes of transportation in cities over automobile traffic that uses fossil fuels, all with the aim of improving the quality of the environment in urban areas.

The campaign has been implemented since 2002, and last year almost 3,000 cities from 50 countries in Europe and the world celebrated this event. You can find the list of cities and municipalities from Serbia that have registered activities so far here.

For municipalities and cities, EUROPEAN MOBILITYWEEK provides an excellent opportunity to present sustainable transport alternatives to their residents and to explain to them the environmental challenges they face. By participating in the action, cities and municipalities can show citizens the advantages of choosing cleaner types of traffic and thereby improve the traffic situation in their local environment.

Local governments are strongly encouraged to use this week to test new traffic measures while getting feedback from the public. It is also a great opportunity for local stakeholders to come together and discuss different 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 gives citizens the opportunity 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.

“I am calling on everybody to participate in the mobility week activities. It is good fun, it is informative and engaging. Saving energy and thinking about smart mobility is important for all of us and affects also all of us. The European Union supports Serbia in all efforts to become a more sustainable country and to fulfil the highest environmental standards. But the state cannot do all alone, we also need to have the involvement of the citizens. And with this week of activities we are trying to reach as many citizens as possible”, said the EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret.

“This year again, the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure is one of the coordinators of the European Mobility Week in Serbia. The message Let’s move better – save energy is very important, as it promotes positive changes in urban areas, which will benefit all citizens. Over 20 cities from our country reported their activities during the campaign, and we invite citizens to get involved by using bicycles, public transport or walking as often as possible this week,” said the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesić.

“For Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SKGO), as an association of local authorities, it is extremely important that this event is celebrated equally by large cities and small municipalities in Serbia. This testifies to the high level of awareness of local leaderships about the need to act in the area of improving air quality, saving energy and protecting the environment. Cities and municipalities from Serbia have been celebrating the European Mobility Week since the very foundation of this manifestation, back in 2002. We at SKGO, as the national coordinators of the campaign, are particularly proud of the “Day without cars in cities and municipalities in Serbia” campaign, which is now traditionally, for the sixth time in a row, marked by a large number of cities and municipalities by the mayors and presidents of municipalities, their associates and employees in local administrations on September 22, World Car Free Day, come to work on foot, by bicycle or by public transport. The action is traditionally joined by all employees in the professional service of our organisation. With this call to action, we encourage local leaders to set a personal example by inviting citizens to a dialogue about changing habits in movement and traffic in general,” said Nikola Tarbuk, Secretary General of the Permanent Conference of Cities and Municipalities.

You can find all the information related to the activities within the European Mobility Week supported by the EU Delegation at this link.