Development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan publicly discussed in the project "MOVE IT like Lublin", funded by the European Union

On Tuesday, 26 July 2022, the first meeting of the Working Group on Public Transport took place in the Chisinau City Hall. The event was organized within the framework of the European Union project "MOVE IT like Lublin" - an initiative for sustainable development of public transport in the municipality of Chisinau, in order to initiate the process of developing the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP).

The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is one of the main expected results of the project and will be developed by a consortium of 5 world-famous companies led by CIVITTA Strategy & Consulting S.A.

The meeting was attended by the leadership of the Mayor's Office , municipal councillors, representatives of the General Directorate of Public Transport and Railways, and the General Directorate of Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations, as well as project implementation specialists, national and international experts, and members of civil society.

Vice-Mayor Ilie Ceban, as Vice-President of the Working Group, thanked those who showed interest and responded to the invitation to participate in the meeting.He mentioned the importance of developing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan by a group of consultants, a strategic document of the municipality. At the same time, he stressed the need for cooperation involving all stakeholders so that the final provisions of the document are applicable and effective for all beneficiaries.

The Project Manager of "MOVE IT like Lublin", Mr. Octavian Lungu spoke about the organization of the Public Transport Working Group, the composition, tasks and responsibilities of the members. He also mentioned that the Working Group is a consultative one and represents an important communication platform in the process of elaborating the transport strategy for Chisinau municipality.

In this context, representatives of the Consortium presented the team, concept and characteristics of the SUMP, strategic considerations, the experience of other cities and the European framework for sustainable urban mobility. Interdepartmental dialogue and cooperation will play an important role in the process of developing the Plan.

The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan will be developed within 2 years and is a strategic document on integrated mobility with clear goals and objectives aimed at improving accessibility and quality of life. The established working group will actively participate in solving the problems of urban mobility in Chisinau, including providing the necessary assistance in the process of developing the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.

Context:

The project "MOVE IT like Lublin" - Initiative for Sustainable Development of Public Transport in the Municipality of Chisinau, funded by the European Union, is implemented on the basis of a partnership between the Chisinau City Administration and Lublin City Administration in Poland. The project will be implemented by 2025 and will support the transformation of the city's public transport services into a more inclusive, safe, sustainable and stable transport system. The project is aimed at improving urban transport policy at the municipal level, by; improving the institutional capacity of the Chisinau City Authorities in accordance with the best practices of the European Union in the field of urban mobility; improving the quality of public transport management in Chisinau with the help of sustainable innovative solutions and technologies. In addition, within the framework of the project, a modern Traffic Monitoring Center will be created and a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of Chisinau will be developed. The project also provides for the digitization of operations such as e-tickets and web applications for public transport, which reflects the best practices of EU cities, including Lublin. The total budget of the project is 3,500,000 euros, of which 3,325,000 euros is the contribution of the European Union in the form of a grant, and 175,000 euros are allocated by the Chisinau City Administration.