SaMBA

By making public authorities, the general public and tourists coming to the Alpine area understand the potential changing mobility patterns, the amount of emissions in traffic can be reduced.

Problem

The Alpine region is defined by its characteristic landscapes, high biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems, which make it a unique natural system home to over 14 million people, living in eight countries. Yet, increasing environmental challenges such as growing air pollution and high emissions demand policy responses to protect this area. In SaMBA, 13 project partners from five countries (Italy, France, Austria, Slovenia and Germany) will look at the high level of dependency on private cars, the mismatch of sustainable transport options and people’s mobility needs, with the aim of increasing the use of sustainable transport options.

The project will thus elaborate and test reward and pricing policies, in order to trigger behaviour change in mobility patterns. A tool will be developed that allows planning authorities to estimate the impact of such mobility-related behavioural change policies. In bringing together partners from five countries, the projects will support the harmonisation of policies throughout the region.

Description

Increasing awareness about the potential of mobility behaviour change policies

By making public authorities, the general public and tourists coming to the Alpine area understand the potential changing mobility patterns, the amount of emissions in traffic can be reduced. With the introduction of mobility policies that are based on reward and pricing principles, behavioural changes can be triggered that will lead to the use of more sustainable transport options, such as car sharing, the public transport, the bicycle and others

Improving behaviour change policies to promote sustainable and low carbon mobility

Recommendations for the development of harmonized behaviour change policies will be drawn up, together with the transnational community of all partner countries, including mobility experts and public authorities. The network will gather knowledge on the potential of behaviour change policies, ensure their replicability and acceptance across the Alpine Space area.

Fostering behaviour change towards sustainable mobility in the pilot cases

A handbook will be developed including practical information and advice on how to facilitate the implementation of policies based on rewards and pricing priciples, focusing especially on effectiveness and acceptance by the users of mobility options.

The COVID19 impact

The SaMBA project was deeply affected by COVID19 and the sanitary measures that came along with it. With the transportation systems and movements being completely stopped during several months from March 2020 to June 2020, several pilot projects were deeply affected.

On top of that, some pilots had activities based on personal meetings, carpooling and others, that were proven difficult to be continued due to less social acceptance of agglomeration and intercation within confine spaces with strangers.

Nevertheless, the sanitary crisis brought a level of insecurity related to the use of public transport, which made citizens go back to private cars and, in some cases, to a more frequent use o bicycles. Perhaps the findings in SaMBA might help cities nudge their citizens towards a more sustainable behaviour while going back to the life “pre-COVID” instead of choosing to take the car.