European Commission adopts new initiatives for sustainable and smart mobility

Urban mobility: new Commission guidance on regulating taxis and private hire vehicles for more sustainable, accessible and fair services 

The European Commission adopted today a guidance notice for national and local authorities on regulating taxis and private hire vehicles. The guidance clarifies how internal market rules should be applied to taxis and private hire vehicles, and how appropriate regulation can make these services more sustainable, accessible, and fair. For instance, the guidance advises against regulation leading to empty runs, such as an obligation for private hire vehicles to return to garage in between rides or geographical restrictions that prevent drivers from taking passengers on return trips from remote locations. The guidance encourages ‘pooling’ of passengers, more sustainable vehicle fleets, and integration with public transport and active mobility. It also emphasises that requirements to become a driver and operating conditions should be simple and proportionate.

Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “Integration with public mobility, less empty runs and encouraging pooling of passengers are all part of today’s guidance. With it we try to ensure good service for customers across Europe as well as fair, safe and more sustainable operations.”

The guidance helps advance the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. It is one of the first deliverables of the new EU urban mobility framework presented in December 2021.

Smart mobility: new Commission rules to make more EU-wide real-time traffic data available for innovative mobility services 

The European Commission is today expanding the availability of EU-wide real-time traffic data by amending existing rules in this area. Up to now, road authorities and operators have had the obligation to make available such data on the trans-European road network, motorways and other priority zones. Today’s revision will extend this to cover regional and urban roads and is adding new data types, such as vehicle access restrictions. It will apply as of January 2025. These measures will help improve existing information services; clear the path for new, innovative services for road users; and provide new insights for authorities for better infrastructure management.

Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “Better real-time traffic data is a pre-requisite for improvement of our mobility.The rules we adopt today will increase the coverage and scope of such data and will help make transport across the EU smoother, smarter and more sustainable.”

Today’s measure was announced in the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy which helps advance the European Green Deal.