Euractiv: Four cities call for multi-billion-euro clean bus fund
The European Commission has been urged to set up a multi-billion euro grant scheme for zero-emission buses and to help cities build new cycle paths, as part of the EU’s coronavirus recovery package.
City officials from Bonn, Brussels, Dublin and Milan – whose populations total a combined 7.5 million people – have called on the Commission to boost public transport during the post-virus rally, suggesting a zero-emissions bus fund worth €3.5 billion.
In a joint letter – also signed by five civil society groups – the officials say that “public transport has suffered immense loss of revenue; it will need to be supported to ensure attractive services and, at the same time, achieve climate and air quality goals.”
Coronavirus lockdown measures significantly reduced the amount of journeys on public transport in March and April, as governments across Europe and the world advised against unnecessary trips and in favour of remote work.
The number of bus, metro and tram rides have begun to pick up again, as coronavirus cases start to decrease, and the Commission has issued guidance that includes the wearing of masks on board vehicles and at transport hubs...
To read the full article from Euractiv, see here.
