The EU project "MOVE IT like Lublin" organized a new working session to finalize the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan

The "MOVE IT like Lublin" project - Sustainable Public Transport Development Initiative in Chișinău, funded by the European Union, organized the meeting of the Public Transport Working Group on March 5-6, 2024, in the context of developing the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMPlan).

With the support of the European Union, we will create in the municipality of Chișinău a safe, sustainable, intelligent, inclusive, connected, and efficient transport system. Quality public transport is essential for sustainable urban mobility, as it provides - together with "active mobility" - an alternative to the use of personal cars. Moreover, quality public transport requires easy access, frequency, speed, and a high degree of network connectivity.

The workshop sessions at the meeting were attended by Ilie Ceban, the vice-mayor of the capital, representatives of the General Directorate of Urban Mobility, municipal transport enterprises, as well as representatives of civil society. Also, the "MOVE IT like Lublin" project team was actively involved, along with other stakeholders contributing to the development and implementation of the SUMPlan strategic plan.

The contracted consultant CIVITTA Strategy & Consulting S.A. alongside consortium partners - Boğaziçi Proje Mühendislik A.Ş., Rupprecht Consult - Forschung & Beratung GmbH, TTL Planning S.R.L., and AO Business Consulting Institutes, presented and discussed the action plans envisaged in the SUMPlan project.

The main topics discussed included the need for infrastructural adjustments, the development of an efficient structure for the public transport system, the promotion of fare integration, and the implementation of the e-ticketing system, as well as the planning of a rapid bus transit system.

The working session provided an efficient platform for debate to jointly identify the main problems and challenges related to urban mobility, its management, and the promotion of an active lifestyle through the use of alternative means of transportation.

Thus, essential aspects such as mobility management strategies, public transport projects, and initiatives to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians were discussed.

Within the "MOVE IT like Lublin" project, further workshops will be organized to finalize the strategic plan for urban transport development. As daily urban transport services are used by over 680,000 citizens, optimizing this system is an absolute priority for improving connectivity and ensuring a better experience for travelers.

Context information:

The "MOVE IT like Lublin" project - the initiative for the sustainable development of public transport in the municipality of Chisinau, financed by the European Union, is implemented on the basis of a partnership between the City Hall of Chisinau and the City Hall of Lublin in Poland. The project will be implemented by 2025 and will provide support to transform the city's public transport services into a more inclusive, safer, more resilient and sustainable transport system. The total budget of the project is in the amount of 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 Hall.