In July 1998 the European Commission and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) came to an agreement that committed ACEA to reduce the CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars by over 25% .

In the UK, a number of steps have been taken to promote the purchase and use of more fuel efficient vehicles:

Since March 2001, a system of Graduated VED (vehicle excise duty) has been applied to new cars, based primarily on their level of CO₂ emissions. Since April 2002, company car tax has been based on the CO₂ emissions of the vehicle provided to an employee for their private use. In 2006 a new zero rate for cars with the lowest carbon emissions and a new top band for the most polluting cars was introduced. This has partially been the result of the failure by car manufactures to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles.

A new colour-coded environment label for all new cars began appearing in UK car showrooms from July 2005. The consumer-friendly label has been designed to help car buyers assess the climate change impacts of different cars. It will also emphasise that - increasingly - better environmental performance means lower road tax and lower running costs. The gradations on the label are consistent with the CO₂ bandings used for Vehicle Excise Duty

More information on the labels.

More information on the Excise Duty.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

In 2001, Calgary Transit entered into a partnership with electricity companies to develop a program that supports wind-generated electricity. The light rail transit system “Ctrain” (similar to Melbourne’s trams) comprises of 223 vehicles operating on two routes using 45 kilometres of track. Although CTrain does not produce tailpipe CO2 emissions, the system originally used power from coal and natural gas (producing greenhouse gases). Under the new arrangements, 12 windmills located in Southern Alberta generate wind-power, and the equivalent amount used by the CTrain is contributed to the main power grid.

The transition to the use of wind-generated power reduced CO2 emissions by 26,000 tonnes annually. As the CTrain lines are extended, the savings in emissions will also increase.

Mass transit, especially under conditions of high occupancy, invariably produces lower emissions than motor vehicles, on a passenger:kilometre basis. This eco-advantage is further improved when traction electricity is generated using emission free sources.

Calgary Transit Ride the Wind

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

Certain motorised vehicles which drive within a clearly defined zone of central London between 7am and 6pm have to pay a daily Congestion Charge of ₤25, for a day’s use of the zone. The zone is well mapped and signposted, and was extended west in 2007. Residents of the zone are exempt from the charge.

Impetus for the introduction of the fee included the following statistics:

• London suffered the worst traffic congestion in the UK and amongst the worst in Europe
• Drivers in central London spent 50% of their time in queues
• Every weekday morning, the equivalent of 25 busy motorway lanes of traffic tried to enter central London
• It was estimated that London lost between £2-4 million every week in terms of lost time caused by congestion

The main objectives of the charge are to reduce congestion and raise funds for investment in London’s transport system. The scheme is part of a broader sustainability transport plan. Congestion pricing can only be effective when viable alternatives are made available.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

Buses are fitted with bike racks, usually at the front of the bus, for bicycles to be loaded onto. In some cases the front plate of the bus needs to be modified so that the bicycle does not block the headlights. Current systems have restrictions and difficulties. Buses can only carry a few bikes, not all buses in existing systems are fitted with racks and the turnaround time at stops appears to be adversely affected.

This is an emerging system with as-yet unrealised potential.

ACTion Bus Network, Canberra

PeopleMover, Anchorage Alaska

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

Predit is a French programme of research, experimentation and innovation in land transport, started by the ministries in charge of research, transport, environment and industry. It is not so much a case study as a methodology or a project management system.

Predit has multiple levels of governance and a diverse range of foci which are connected but cover specific and different areas. Two of the groups are directly involved with transport: “Mobility, territories and sustainable development” and “Logistics and Merchandise Transport”.

The programme promotes collaboration between the private and public sector; it creates proposals which are then applied, tested and adjusted; and it makes its reports available to the public. It operates at a variety of technical-expertise levels. It assesses projects on four different criteria - societal (urban environmental impacts/gains) benefits, economic benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits.

In its third iteration, the objectives were to ensure the sustained mobility of people and goods, increase the safety of transportation systems and reduce environmental impacts. Predit 4 launched in May 2008.

There is usually a flat monthly fee plus a fee based on kilometers travelled. The premium is calculated dynamically, often with a GPS system. Under typical insurance programs, one ‘justification’ drivers may use for driving when other modes may in fact be more suitable to the task, is that the insurance is already paid for, and to not drive may be seen as ‘wasting money’. The Pay as You Drive scheme from Norwich Union can also reward drivers who prioritise alternative modes, and form part of an integrated strategy to reduce car travel. The further developed version, Tripsense, also includes speed, acceleration, and time of day in its calculation of premiums. The Norwich Union pilot program is no longer available to new customers.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

TransLink (legally the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority) is the organisation responsible for the regional transportation network of Metro Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, including public transport and major roads and bridges. TransLink was created in 1998 (then called the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, or GVTA) and fully implemented in April 1999 by the Government of British Columbia to replace BC Transit in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (now Metro Vancouver) and assume many transportation responsibilities previously held by the provincial government. TransLink is responsible for various modes of transportation in the Metro Vancouver region.(Wikipedia)

There is opportunity for an increased level of coordination when transport modes fall under the one governance umbrella, compared to when modes have to or are encouraged to compete for patronage.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

In HomeZone streets, right of way is permanently returned to cyclists and walkers (Cyclovia cf.). The concept was initiated by Dutch communities in the late 1970s, and continues to be well-utilised in The Netherlands and, to a lesser extent, Britain. HomeZones are developed in partnership with the local council in areas where streetscapes are not conducive to community-life or sustainable forms of mobility. They have a strong local/grassroots focus, and create opportunities to use low energy-intensive modes of transport such as walking and cycling.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

The highest recorded speed of a maglev train is 581 km/h (361 mph), achieved in Japan in 2003, 6 km/h higher than the conventional TGV speed record (Wikipedia). Due to the reduced friction compared to conventional trains, there is great potential for them to use less energy and to therefore have a low emission intensity. Due to their high speed, and the fact that wheels are retracted, the greatest challenge remaining for maglevs is to reduce air friction and to reduce costs. Maglevs require a considerable investment in technological know-how and infrastructure, but may be able to provide high speed and relatively low GHG intensive mobility for residents of densely populated areas.

Watch a video.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.

The system was launched in 2007, pushed by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë. Ten thousand bicycles were introduced to the city with 750 automated rental stations each with 15 or more bikes/spaces. This number has since grown to 20,000 bicycles and 1,450 stations, about 1 station every 300 m throughout the city centre, making Vélib’ the largest system of its kind in the world.

Each Vélib station is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and spots for dozens of bicycles. Maps showing the station locations are available at all kiosks. The rental terminals display the locations and numbers of available bicycles and free spots of the neighboring Velib stations. If a user arrives with a rented bicycle at a station without free spots, the terminal grants another 15 minutes of free rental time. Twenty vehicles are used at night to redistribute bicycles to high-demand stations.

In order to use the system, users need to take out a subscription, purchased by the day, week or year, which allows an unlimited number of rentals. Bike use is free for the first half hour of every individual trip; an unlimited number of such free trips can be made per day. A trip that lasts longer than 30 minutes incurs a charge of one to four euros for each subsequent 30-minute period. The increasing price scale is intended to keep the bikes in circulation.

From “Innovation in mobility for sustainable outcomes” case studies by Geoff Browne.