On 14 October 2019, the European Commission (DG MOVE) organised a conference on ‘Micro-mobility: the next big thing?’ in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The conference discussed new transport developments of micro-mobility such as electric scooters, bikes, mopeds, and drones.
Together with representatives of city authorities, micro-mobility companies and the European Commissioner for Transport Ms. Violeta Bulc, the conference aimed to be the first large-scale event to provide a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities micro-mobility presents for people moving in urban areas and for deliveries. The agenda of the conference included workshops, presentations, an exhibition and panel discussions. The first panel ‘Is there a role investors and regulators can play in micro-mobility?’ discussed how micro-mobility can be promoted from the regulatory and the entrepreneurial side.
Commissioner Bulc emphasized that the micro-mobility brings challenges in three key areas: investments, inclusion in public transport and safety. Risk of E-LVs includes that users tend to ignore existing traffic regulations and act irresponsible. Increasing numbers of users drinking and driving are challenging safe traffic. However, she highlighted that “micro-mobility is here to stay and will reshape the future of mobility. It will also contribute to the manifestation of the Vision Zero.”
Read more about the event here.