Severing car dependency in EU cities ‘very realistic’

Klaus Bondam, chairman of EuroCities’ Mobility Forum, a major partner of the annual European Mobility Week and Car Free day, and vice-mayor of one of Europe’s best performing cities in terms of sustainable mobility, shares his beliefs with EurActiv on how to deal with growing congestion and pollution in Europe’s urban areas.
Copenhagen is often cited as an example of best practice in terms of sustainable mobility. Which policies have you implemented to limit congestion and pollution in the city-centre?

We have the goal of being the number-one bicycle city in the world – we often say we’re engaged in a friendly competition with Amsterdam. Among the polices we have implemented are, of course, a very strong focus on bicycle accessibility, cycle roads and what we call “green waves”, where all the traffic lights on major streets are programmed to change to green at a pace that suits cyclists rather than cars.

What helps, of course, is that Denmark is a rather flat country, with a favourable climate for cycling. And we have a strong tradition of cycling.

But then, we also have a tradition of intense taxation on cars, so a car in Denmark is probably the most expensive in the world. This means there is no natural incentive to buy a car. And, when it comes to modern living in Copenhagen, around 40% of inhabitants actually use their bicycle 365 days a year – including myself – because it is the easiest and quickest way to get around in the city.

We also use another tool, which is to reduce the number of parking spaces in the inner city to discourage people from coming in from the suburbs by car.

Of course, in Denmark, we have experienced a growth in welfare over the past few years and, as people get richer, the percentage of car ownership also goes up. But actually, although 25% of Copenhagen households have a car, there is a very sound car use, meaning that owners only use their vehicles once a week or less.

Euractiv