The slogan of this year’s European Mobility Week was “Let’s Move Better”, focusing on shared public spaces.
Public spaces, pedestrian and bike lanes, recreational locations, lakes, and squares belong to everyone – no matter if you ride bikes, scooters, rollerblades or simply walk. Smart movement means preserving health and environment – we all share that notion.
European Mobility Week lasted from September 16 to September 22 in Serbia, promoting sustainable and healthy urban mobility. Around 32 municipalities and cities in Serbia took part in European Mobility Week this year, showing an interest and will to combat pollution with functional and public green spaces.
EU Ambassador in Serbia Emanuele Giaufret stated: As Serbia is joining other European countries in the celebration of European Mobilty Week 2024, reminding us of the importance sustainable transportation has, for both the environment and our communities. EMW encourages us to question the traditional ways of transportation and movement within our cities, and to lean more towards clean and smart transportational solutions. The European Union is dedicated to supporting Serbia in her efforts of green mobility promotion, decrease of pollution, and development of urban lifestyle. Together we can create healthier, safer, more sustainable cities for all citizens. I am sending an invitation to all to actively take part in this year’s events, thus doing their part in securing a better future for our planet”.
One of the activities were aimed at educating the youngest about the non-motorized means of transportation. As such, teachers and children of Pre-primary School “Golub Mira” were a part of an activity where they drove scooters and bicycles.
Mayor’s Aide for Ecology, Energy, and Sustainable Development Ana Prvanov visited this activity, stating that the goal of this activites was to highlight the alternative means of transportation, the ones that did not use fossil fuels.
“We want to show the children that there exist other transportation methods that they can use, cars are not the only thing they can use to get from one point to another”
Another activity for the day was pedestrian safety, so Ana Prvanov was actively talking with the pedestrians about the pedestrian footbridge and the safety it provides, as well as other European actions for pedestrian safety, and the general traffic problems, along with the members of the police officers responsible for regulating traffic, and members of the Trafic Safety Council of Kruševac.
Another event that Kruševac traditionally takes part in was the World Car Free Day.
Mayor Aides for ecology, energy, and sustainable development Ana Prvanov, Aide for Social Activities Snežana Aleksić, for Youth and Sports Nevena Plavšić, and for Agriculture, Forestry, Water Management and Forestry Darko Andonov chose alternative means of arriving to work for that day.
Anyone can participate in World Car Free Day by travelling by public transportation, bicycle, or simply going somewhere on foot. Its origin dates back in Great Britain of 1997, with the European Comission supporting the initiative in 2000, when the whole world accepted to celebrate and actively participate in this event.
The European Mobility Week 2024 was officially closed on September 22, with many events taking place in the span of 7 days in Kruševac, events that have, hopefully, made an impact on citizens’ opinions about the alternative means of transportation.
