Τι είναι η Ε.Υ.ΘΥ.Τ.Α.


Η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ- ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΟΔΙΚΗΣ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ

Εταιρεία Υποστήριξης Θυμάτων Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων είναι ένας Μη Κερδοσκοπικός, Μη Κυβερνητικός Οργανισμός, στο χώρο της Οδικής Ασφάλειας.
Στη Ρόδο λειτουργεί από τον Ιούνιο 2004 , πρωτοβουλία της Προέδρου Καρύδη Ελένης, θύμα τροχαίου ατυχήματος, μετά από τον χαμό του γιου της Δημήτρη 19 χρόνων στις 12 Φεβρουαρίου 2002, πλαισιωμένη από επιστήμονες, θύματα, συγγενείς τροχαίων δυστυχημάτων και ευαισθητοποιημένα άτομα στο θέμα της Οδικής Ασφάλειας.
Είναι μέλος:

-Της Ευρωπαϊκής Ομοσπονδίας Θυμάτων Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων-FEVR (Σύμβουλος του Ο.Η.Ε και του Π.Ο.Υ)
-Υποστηρικτής της Παγκόσμιας Οργάνωσης « MAKE ROADS SAFE »
-Το 2008 υπέγραψε την Ευρωπαϊκή Χάρτα Οδικής Ασφάλειας, για λιγότερα θύματα με την υποστήριξη της Ε.Ε.
-Αρωγό μέλος του Ε.Δ.Ι.ΠΑ.Β (Εθνικό Δίκτυο Πρόληψης Ατυχημάτων , συμπεριλαμβανομένων των τροχαίων)
-Μέλος της Διακομματικής Επιτροπής Δήμου Ρόδου
-Ιδρυτικό μέλος του Πανελλαδικού Συλλόγου
"SOS ΤΡΟΧΑΙΑ ΕΓΚΛΗΜΑΤΑ"
-Υποστηρίζει την Δεκαετία Δράσης 2011-2020 για την Οδική Ασφάλεια
-Συνεργάζεται με φορείς του Δημόσιου του Ιδιωτικού τομέα, με Παγκόσμιους & Ευρωπαϊκούς Φορείς και Οργανισμούς.

Ποιοι είναι οι σκοποί :

+Η υποστήριξη των θυμάτων των Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων από ομάδα συμβούλων ( νομικών, ιατρών, ειδικών εμπειρογνωμόνων, συγκοινωνιολόγων, μηχανολόγων, εκπαιδευτικών, ψυχολόγων, κοινωνικών λειτουργών ).

+Η ανάπτυξη αλληλεγγύης μεταξύ των θυμάτων των Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων( ηθική υποστήριξη ).

+Η οργανωμένη παρέμβαση και η κοινωνική πίεση προς τους φορείς της πολιτείας, για τη βελτίωση της οδικής ασφάλειας και την μείωση των τροχαίων ατυχημάτων.

+Η υποστήριξη η ανάληψη και προώθηση δραστηριοτήτων σε θέματα τα οποία προάγουν την οδική ασφάλεια, την κυκλοφοριακή αγωγή, την έρευνα, την ενημέρωση , την ευαισθητοποίηση των πολιτών των ιδιαίτερα ευάλωτων ηλικιών (μαθητών, ηλικιωμένων).

Ποιο είναι το Δυναμικό της:

Η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ, διαθέτει ένα τεχνοκρατικό πυρήνα από επιστήμονες- μέλη διαφόρων κλάδων ( Υγειονομικούς, Νομικούς, Εκπαιδευτικούς, Μηχανολόγους- Μηχανικούς, Πραγματογνώμονες, Συγκοινωνιολόγους, Οικονομολόγους, Αναλυτές Η/Υ, Ψυχολόγους, Κοινωνικούς Λειτουργούς).

Το δυναμικό της ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ, ανταποκρίνεται απόλυτα στις υψηλές απαιτήσεις σοβαρών ερευνητικών προγραμμάτων, με θέμα την Οδική Ασφάλεια, την πρόσληψη και την μείωση των Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων.

Διαθέτει επίσης ένα αξιόλογο επιτελείο έμπειρων επιστημόνων, που της επέτρεψε ως τώρα να πραγματοποιήσει πολλαπλές εκπαιδευτικές- ενημερωτικές δράσεις με στόχο τη βελτίωση της Οδικής Συμπεριφοράς.

Ποιες είναι οι Δραστηριότητές της:

Η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ, συμβάλλει δραστικά στην ενημέρωση των πολιτών για την Οδική Ασφάλεια, την πρόληψη και την μείωση των τροχαίων ατυχημάτων και παρέχει σε μόνιμη βάση Νομική, Ιατρική, Ψυχολογική και Κοινωνική Υποστήριξη σε θύματα και συγγενείς θυμάτων Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων όταν αυτή ζητηθεί.

Η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ, έχει διοργανώσει εκδηλώσεις ( Ημερίδες, Έκθεση φωτογραφίας , Δράσεις σε ανοικτούς χώρους, Διδασκαλία σε Σχολεία Α/ας και Β/ας Εκπαίδευσης, Σεμινάρια σε κέντρα εκπαίδευσης νεοσυλλέκτων, Ενημερωτικές ομιλίες σε Δήμους της Ρόδου) στο πλαίσιο της ενημέρωσης των πολιτών σε θέματα που προάγουν την Οδική Ασφάλεια και έχει κάνει ουσιαστικές παρεμβάσεις στους φορείς σε θέματα Οδικής Ασφάλειας.

Έχει εκδώσει ενημερωτικά έντυπα με έγκυρη επιστημονική πληροφόρηση σε θέματα Οδικής Ασφάλειας.

Η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ ΡΟΔΟΥ, πιστεύει ότι για την επίτευξη αποτελεσμάτων χρειάζεται δραστηριοποίηση από τους πολίτες, υποστήριξη από τον κρατικό μηχανισμό και αλλαγή της αρνητικής νοοτροπίας στοιχεία που θα μας βοηθήσουν να απαλλαγούμε από την ιδιότητα της Ευρωπαϊκής χώρας με μεγάλο αριθμό Θυμάτων Τροχαίων δυστυχημάτων και με επικίνδυνους δρόμους για ασφαλή οδήγηση.

http://www.efhtita.gr















30 Νοε 2018

Alliance Newsletter - November 2018

GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF NGOs FOR ROAD SAFETY 

Newsletter | 30 November 2018

Dear Friends,

November saw two major road safety events: Safety 2018 and the 1st African Road Safety Forum, where the Alliance was a key partner and launched the Africa Chapter of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety.

Also this month, on 18 November 2018, the 25th World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was commemorated by Alliance members around the world.

Finally, today, in New Delhi, India, the fourth cohort of Alliance Advocates will graduate. Each leave with an action plan to implement in their communities, and we will follow up on their progress as they put their learning into practice.

Yours sincerely,

Lotte Brondum
Executive Director
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Africa Chapter to Raise NGO Profile

Forum Gathers African Momentum

Safe School Project Extends to Asia

WDoR Around the World

Safety 2018: An NGO Perspective

UN Fund Approves First Projects

Upcoming Events












 
AFRICA CHAPTER TO RAISE NGO PROFILE
On 14 November 2018, the Alliance launched the Africa Chapter of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety at the 1st African Road Safety Forum, in Morocco.

The Africa Chapter will strengthen the work and voice of NGOs in Africa. Its plans will be based on an action brief written in consultation with member NGOs. A needs assessment will be carried out during December 2018 and January 2019 to map members' strengths, needs, and interests. Read more about the Africa Chapter, including the action brief and how to get involved HERE.
1ST AFRICAN ROAD SAFETY FORUM GATHERS MOMENTUM FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT
Momentum is building for a coordinated response to road safety in Africa. The 1st African Road Safety Forum brought together road safety stakeholders to exchange expertise, recognizing the socio-economic and cultural similarities between African countries.

The event was attended by more than 40 Alliance members from across Africa and beyond. The Alliance ran three sessions that drew on the experience of the member NGOs; we also hosted a booth where visitors could sign the 50by30 commitment to reduce road fatalities and injuries by 50% by 2030. At the final session, Alliance Board member Ndèye Awa Sarr, presented four calls to action for governments in Africa and four commitments from NGOs in Africa, based on the Africa Chapter action brief.

The Forum featured the 1st African Road Safety Film Festival organized by Alliance member LASER International Foundation and the Francophone Alliance for Road Safety. Read more HERE.

See the round-up from the Forum HERE.
ALLIANCE ADVOCATE PROGRAM EXTENDS TO ASIA
Today, 30 November 2018, 21 new Alliance Advocates from eight countries across Asia graduate from their training in New Delhi, India. The Advocates have spent the week honing their data collection, analysis, and advocacy skills by assessing the roads outside Nutan Mathari Senior Secondary School and building an advocacy message, which they have presented to decision makers and influencers. Read the press release HERE and the blog from the week HERE. Our thanks to Rohit Baluja and the Institute for Road Traffic Education (IRTE) for hosting us.
WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AROUND THE WORLD
18 November 2018 was the 25th World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR). The Alliance and WHO produced social media banners around the theme “Roads have stories,” which were posted to an audience of more than five million people and shared more than 1,000 times.

The European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR), the creators of WDoR, marked its 25th anniversary at an event with P(A)T in Barcelona, Spain. The Government of Malta, FEVR, Youth for Road Safety (YOURS), and the European office of WHO, organized an interactive event for the general public and a panel event on youth engagement. Around the world, Alliance members promoted the day through events and social media. See pictures and captions HERE.
SAFETY 2018: AN NGO PERSPECTIVE
A number of Alliance members attended the 13th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (Safety 2018) in Bangkok, Thailand and several received awards for the 2018 International Safety Media Awards, including Road Safety Pioneers, Iran, and Safe Kids, Malaysia. Read about the awards HERE.

We asked Kulanthayan Mani, Safe Kids Malaysia, about his highlights from Safety 2018 and the messages he took away. Read what he said HERE and read more about the conference and the Bangkok Statement HERE.
 
UN ROAD SAFETY TRUST FUND APPROVES FIRST PROJECTS
The first five projects to be funded via the UN Road Safety Trust Fund (UNRSTF) were announced last week. The projects, which total a US$1 million investment in road safety, span safe road infrastructure, post-crash response, legislation, enforcement, and education. Projects will be implemented in Arab countries, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Paraguay, the Philippines, Senegal, and South Africa.

New contributions to the fund have been announced from the EU Commission and Michelin.

The UNRSTF was announced in April with the purpose of supporting the implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action and the road safety-related SDGs.

Read more HERE.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEADLINES

IRF & UNECE ITS summit: 4 December 2018, Geneva, Switzerland. Read more HERE.

iRAP Star Rating Essentials webinar series: 4, 6, 11, 13 and 18 December 6pm AEDT. Read more and register HERE.

Launch of the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018: 7 December 2018.

Raahgiri Day with Child Health Initiative and World Resources Institute: 9 December 2018 7am - 10am IST, Gurugram, India. More information coming soon.

Towards Zero: Going Beyond Compliance to Create Safer Fleets—Brake Professional webinar: 11 December 2018, 2pm NZDT. Read more HERE.

Identifying and Addressing Driver Fatigue—Brake Professional webinar: 13 December 2018 2pm GMT. Read more and register HERE.

Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities: 31 March–2 April 2019, Louisville, KY, US. Poster application deadline: 25 January 2019. Read more HERE.

Sixth Global Meeting of Nongovernmental Organizations Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims: 8–13 April 2019, Chania, Greece. Read more HERE.

Fifth UN Global Road Safety Week: 6–12 May 2019.

Third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety: 19 –20 February 2020, Stockholm, Sweden.
Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
Tel: (+45) 299 399 14
E-mail: admin@roadsafetyngos.org
www.roadsafetyngos.org

Brake Professional Bulletin - Get Involved


The Pledge driver training days: December sessions

 
The Pledge provides training and tools to help employers engage any employee who drives with these key safety messages. Hundreds of companies have attended our highly rated Pledge training course to learn ways how to successfully incorporate road safety within they company culture. It focuses on speed, distraction, seat belt use, mobile phones, driver health and eyesight and, of course drink and drug-driving.

Our next UK training days are taking place on 6 December in Swindon and on 11 December in Manchester. Places are free for Brake Professional members or £90+ VAT for non-members.
We are also running a special offer this week to celebrate the end of Road Safety Week and everyone’s incredible efforts raising awareness on the safety of those on two wheels. To say thank you we’d like to offer a FREE place on our Brake Pledge training December workshops to anyone who fills out our Road Safety Week feedback survey here*limited places on each workshop.

To find more about the course content, please visit our website

Identifying and addressing driver fatigue webinar -
only two weeks to go

Fatigue is a major contributory factor in crashes in the UK, with too little sleep radically affecting driver attention, awareness, reaction time and ability to control the vehicle.
It is particularly dangerous because it can affect anyone, regardless of how experienced a driver they are. At-work drivers can be particularly at risk, especially if they spend long hours driving, drive at night, or have irregular sleep schedules.
Who should attend? Representatives of any organisation that employs at-work drivers, including fleet managers, health and safety managers, fleet suppliers, insurers, fleet risk management, driver training providers. 
This webinar, kindly sponsored by Allianz, will take place at 2PM (GMT) on 13 December and is free to attend. To register, complete our online form.

Watch our past webinars here.

Fleet Safety Awards 2018 - spotlight winners


Brake recognised organisations from around the world for their contribution to improving the safety of at-work drivers, at its annual Fleet Safety Awards in Birmingham on Thursday 11th October. Over 400 guests from the fleet industry attended the prestigious awards ceremony sponsored by Trimble
You can see a full list of this year’s winners here and to register your interest in next year’s awards taking place on Thursday 19th September 2019, click here.
Here is what Mark Bromhall, Road Safety Manager, Royal Mail Group, winner of Road Risk Manager Award sponsored by Licence Bureau, had to say:

"Brake are a fantastic organisation and I’m very proud to receive this award from them, especially when looking at the names of people who have won it before me.  This recognition reflects the efforts of many people within Royal Mail Group, who work hard to reduce the level of Road Traffic Collisions; however driving for work remains one of the most risky activities that we ask our people to perform, and we will use this success as inspiration to always keep improving."

Increase Safety and Efficiency with the RH600 Telematics Camera

 
The innovative Trakm8 RH600 4G telematics camera provides fleet managers with the insights they need to improve safety and reduce costs. It is proven to reduce at-fault insurance claims and help drivers to adopt a safer, smoother driving style.

This leading-edge device can be fitted with either a single or a dual camera head, meaning that it can monitor the driver as well as the road ahead. Fleet managers can log in and stream live footage from any camera, at any time, enabling spot checks to prevent driver distraction such as mobile phone use.

The RH600 also features a full suite of telematics applications, including driver behaviour monitoring and scoring. Drivers receive feedback from the device, in real time, to help them eliminate bad habits such as heavy acceleration, harsh braking, and sharp cornering. Fleet managers can monitor driver scores, enabling early intervention if any issues emerge.

Transport ministers aiming to weaken new road infrastructure safety rules - Press release

European Transport Safety Council - ETSC - 25 Years 1993-2018

Press Release

Transport ministers aiming to weaken new road infrastructure safety rules

30 November 2018
 
Brussels – ETSC is warning that a weakened version of new EU road infrastructure safety rules, set to be agreed by national ministers of transport on Monday, will do little to improve road safety.  ETSC is calling for MEPs in the European Parliament to demand more wide-ranging and effective rules when negotiations begin on the final legislation early next year.

In a text set to be approved at the Transport Council meeting in Brussels, EU Member States have introduced weaker language on three key elements of the European Commission’s proposal from May 2018, which could substantially weaken the potential of the new rules to reduce deaths and serious injuries on European roads.

The legislation in question is an update to existing EU safety requirements that currently only apply to major European motorways known as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) of roads.  The existing requirements ensure governments carry out regular road safety audits, identify high-risk sites and prioritise safety when building new roads.  18 EU Member States already apply the rules to other roads on a voluntary basis.

The European Commission had proposed to extend the rules to all primary roads in the EU.  ETSC and other organisations have been calling for main urban and main rural roads to be covered, as many more people die in collisions on these types of roads than on motorways.

But transport ministers want each individual Member State to choose which of its roads are subject to the rules, leaving the possibility that some would propose the bare minimum, or only roads that already meet high safety standards.

The European Commission had also proposed to develop general performance standards for road signs and road markings across Europe.  ETSC urged for these to take the form of legally-binding minimum performance standards.  But transport ministers are effectively dismissing this proposal by calling for the Commission to produce a report on the issue instead.  A high standard and consistency of road signs and road markings across Europe could be an important issue for higher levels of automation, when cars increasingly take away control from the driver under certain circumstances. Proposals for network-wide risk assessment have also been weakened in the text that could be adopted on Monday.

Ellen Townsend, Policy Director of the European Transport Safety Council said:

“If transport ministers continue with this position, they will be doing precious little to change the status quo: 25,000 deaths a year on EU roads, with virtually no improvement over the last three years.  We strongly urge the European Parliament to put forward a text that substantially improves road safety in Europe and hope that this will be reflected in the final deal agreed on this legislation early next year.”

The text to be agreed by transport ministers on Monday would still need to be negotiated with members of the European Parliament following a vote in the institution’s transport committee which is due to take place on 10 January.

Notes to editors:

EU Member States agree on new vehicle safety standards - ETSC statement

Intelligent Speed Assistance system on the Ford Galaxy

Press Release

EU Member States agree on new vehicle safety standards - ETSC statement

29 November 2018
 
Brussels – The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has warmly welcomed the endorsement today by EU ministers of industry of a new package of mandatory minimum vehicle safety standards.

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council said:

“Today EU member states have given strong backing to a game-changing package of new minimum vehicle safety standards.  If this legislation is passed, together with the European Parliament, in the form it was proposed, it will prevent 25,000 people from dying over 16 years – a massive step forward for road safety.

“We strongly urge members of the European Parliament to guarantee this package is passed without being watered down.  Car manufacturers are relentlessly campaigning to weaken the proposals by removing key life-saving technologies such as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), and by deprioritising others, such as standards that would require lorries to have larger windows to improve visibility of pedestrians and cyclists.  The cost of undermining the package in this way would be counted in lives lost or changed forever.”

The final proposals will now need to be agreed in negotiations between the EU institutions after formal votes in the European Parliament’s Internal Market (IMCO) and Transport (TRAN) committees, expected to take place early next year.

Next Monday, EU Transport Ministers will agree their position on a related proposal on improving road infrastructure safety management in the EU.

Notes to editors:
European Transport Safety Council - ETSC - 25 Years 1993-2018

Brake News




Road Safety Week 2019

Road Safety Week has been and gone.

Everyone at Brake would like to say a massive 'thank you' to all those who took part, especially our volunteers, many of whom shared their stories with media
outlets across the country. We’d also like
to thank all the organisations, schools and community groups who got involved to support the Bike Smart campaign.

Our press release got some good pick up at the beginning of the week, with Brake spokespeople popping up on various radio and TV stations across the country to talk Bike Smart. We have also had great engagement on Twitter and other social media platforms, with many of our partners and followers sharing and retweeting our messages.

Learn more: For anyone who missed it, the full Road Safety Week press release can be found here. Want to find out more about how you can be a Bike Smart driver? View our short animation here.

Get involved: Tell us about your 2018 events.

Campaigning


Event: RSW Parliamentary drop in
Brake held a drop-in session in Parliament during Road Safety Week, for MPs to come along and learn more about the Bike Smart campaign.

Many also tried out the WheelSwap VR experience that Ford kindly provided for us. They all received a template press release to go out in their local media to spread our message. In total 36 MPs attended. There was a good cross-party mix and many are keen to engage with us further.

Policy: #RoadsToJustice

Towards the end of the month, there was a Westminster Hall debate on ‘road safety and the legal framework’, where many of our supportive MPs had the opportunity to raise our concerns about the legal system surrounding road traffic offences, including the definitions of careless and dangerous driving, hit and run sentencing, and implementing the tougher sentences for death by dangerous driving and death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

Many MPs used the opportunity to call for a review of road traffic offences, with the Justice Minister, Rory Stewart MP, in attendance to respond to the debate. We hope this will be a positive step in furthering our Roads to Justice campaign.

Find out more: Click here to read a transcript of the debate.

Policy: DfT launches new travel plan

In late November, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy call for evidence, to which Brake submitted evidence, with a 50 point action plan on how to make the roads safer for people cycling and walking. This included measures such as a review of guidance in the Highway Code to improve safety for vulnerable road users and enforcement against parking in mandatory cycle lanes.

A comment from Brake was also included in the DfT’s official press release, demonstrating just how well respected we are as a key road safety organisation.

Learn more: Read Brake’s response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy consultation.

Fundraising

Campaign: Light a Light

Brake has launched its Light a Light campaign, to remember those whose lives were tragically cut short in a road crash.

Families and friends can light a candle or switch on a light on our virtual Christmas
tree and leave a message for their loved
one in exchange for a donation to Brake. All moneys raised will help Brake to campaign for safer roads and support people who have been bereaved or injured in road crashes.

Everyone who dedicates a light will receive a special remembrance candle in the post.

Get involved: Click here to light a candle for your loved one this Christmas.

Christmas is coming…

Christmas is (almost) here. Support Brake by buying a batch of our Charity Christmas cards. On sale now at just £3.50 for a pack of 10 cards.

Get festive: Buy your Brake Christmas cards here.

Fleet safety

Event: Identifying and addressing driver fatigue webinar
2pm (GMT) Thursday 13 December 2018

Driving while tired is high risk and fatigue is
a factor in a large number of crashes. It can affect anyone, regardless of how experienced a driver they are.

At-work drivers can be at even higher risk, especially if they spend long hours driving, drive at night, or have irregular sleep schedules.

This free webinar will discuss the causes of driver fatigue, and the importance of including it in a road risk programme. Who should attend? Representatives of any organisation that employs at-work drivers, including fleet managers, health and safety managers and fleet suppliers.

To register: Please complete our online form. This webinar is sponsored by Allianz and is free to attend.

Events: Coming soon

We will be announcing our full events programme for 2019 soon, but we have already confirmed dates for two of next year’s flagship events:
  • Fleet Safety Conference, Birmingham: Thursday 22 May 2019
  • Fleet Safety Awards, Birmingham: Thursday 19 September 2019
To learn more: Please visit the Brake Professional events calendar.


«Αφήνω το αυτοκίνητο στο σπίτι»

Πως οι Δωρεάν Συγκοινωνίες μπορούν να φέρουν επανάσταση σε μια γαλλική πόλη.
«Το μέτρο της δωρεάν μετακίνησης στοχεύει στο να προκαλέσει ένα ψυχολογικό και κοινωνικό σοκ σε μια πόλη όπου κυριαρχεί το αυτοκίνητο. ‘Έπρεπε να αλλάξει η εικόνα μιας πόλης σημαδεμένης από τη φτώχεια που αρνείται να δει το μέλλον.»
‘Ο, τι είναι δωρεάν αντιμετωπίζεται με τρομερή προκατάληψη. Στην εμπορευματική κοινωνία, ό, τι δεν έχει τιμή δεν έχει και αξία. Αυτό είναι τρομερό, η απόλυτη φρίκη της ανθρωπότητας. Χρειάζεται μία διαφορετική αντίληψη της κοινωνίας και των δημοσίων υπηρεσιών. Τα καλύτερα πράγματα στη ζωή είναι δωρεάν.» Patrice Vergriete (δήμαρχος Δουνκέρκης)
Η Δουνκέρκη είναι μια πόλη 200.000 κάτοικων που υπέστη ολική σχεδόν καταστροφή στον 2ο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Από 1η Σεπτεμβρίου 2018, όπου εφάρμοσε τις πλήρως δωρεάν μετακινήσεις με λεωφορείο για όλους και όλες τις μέρες και έγινε η μεγαλύτερη πόλη της Ευρώπης που προσφέρει δωρεάν συγκοινωνίες τόσο στους κατοίκους όσο και στους επισκέπτες και μια μικρή επανάσταση συνέβη. Σύμφωνα με το δήμαρχο της πόλης το σχέδιο στέφθηκε με τεράστια επιτυχία και αύξηση κατά 50% του επιβατικού κοινού σε κάποιες γραμμές ενώ 85% σε κάποιες άλλες.
Ο στόλος των λεωφορείων στην πόλη της Δουνκέρκης αυξήθηκε περιλαμβάνοντας νεότερα οχήματα που κινούνται με φυσικό αέριο.
«Το επιβατικό κοινό άλλαξε τον τρόπο που αντιμετωπίζει τις συγκοινωνίες, Το φαινόμενο του βανδαλισμού έχει εξαφανισθεί, όπως και ο φόβος του ελέγχου. Οι οδηγοί λεωφορείων δεν φοβούνται πια», λέει ο δήμαρχος του Σατορού, Ζιλ Αβερού. Οι επιβάτες τους καλημερίζουν.
Σε ό,τι αφορά το ακανθώδες ζήτημα της χρηματοδότησης, τα έσοδα από τα εισιτήρια στη Δουνκέρκη κάλυπταν μόλις το 10% του συνολικού κόστους λειτουργίας, με το ποσόν αυτό να αντισταθμίζεται χάρη σε νέο φόρο επί των επιχειρήσεων και με αύξηση της κρατικής επιχορήγησης των συγκοινωνιών. «Η χρηματοδότηση είναι απλή για μικρές πόλεις. Στους μεγάλους δήμους, τα πράγματα είναι περίπλοκα, αν και η κρατική επιχορήγηση μπορεί να δώσει λύση», λέει ο Κεμπλόφσκι ένας ειδικός στην αστική έρευνα στο Πανεπιστήμιο των Βυξελλών.
Σύμφωνα με μελέτη της διαδυκτυακής εφημερίδας Metropolitics οιδωρεάν συγκοινωνίες αυξάνουν την κινητικότητα των ηλικιωμένων και νεότερων επιβατών καθώς και την αίσθηση ελευθερίας.
Η έμπνευση προήλθε από το Ταλίν της Εσθονίας που ήταν η πρώτη ευρωπαϊκή πρωτεύουσα η οποία το 2013 προσέφερε στους κατοίκους της αποκλειστικά αυτή την υπηρεσία με στόχο την αποσυμφόρηση της κυκλοφορίας και τη μείωση της ρύπανσης.
Μετά την εφαρμογή του μέτρου, 25.000 νέοι κάτοικοι προστέθηκαν στον πληθυσμό της πόλης, αυξάνοντας τα δημόσια έσοδά της κατά 1.000 euro ανά νεοεγγραφόμενο κάτοικο ετησίως.Από το 2013, η ποιότητα του αέρα έχει βελτιωθεί, η επιβατική κίνηση έχει αυξηθεί, η γενικότερη ρύπανση μειώθηκε, ενώ φαίνεται να έχει ενισχυθεί η κοινωνική συνοχή.














Με δωρεάν διαδρομές με την αστική συγκοινωνία για μια καλύτερη ποιότητα αέρα στις γερμανικές πόλεις η γερμανική κυβέρνηση σκόπευε να αντιμετωπίσει το πρόβλημα της ατμοσφαιρικής ρύπανσης, καθώς το Βερολίνο αναγκάζεται να εκπληρώσει τους στόχους της ΕΕ για την ατμοσφαιρική ρύπανση και να αποφύγει μεγάλα πρόστιμα που αντιμετωπίζει. Τα μέτρα αυτά αναμένονταν να δοκιμαστούν πειραματικά σε πέντε πόλεις-πρότυπα, τη Βόννη, το Έσσεν, το Χέρενμπεργκ, το Ρόιτλινγκεν και το Μάνχαϊμ. Με νεότερη ανακοίνωση φαίνεται ότι θα υποβαθμιστούν σε απλή μείωση των κομίστρων.
Η μεγαλύτερη πόλη στον κόσμο με δωρεάν μεταφορές από το 2008 είναι ηChanging επαρχία Κίνας.
«Μπορεί η πολιτική αυτή να μοιάζει εξωπραγματική, αλλά υπάρχει και ακμάζει. Υπάρχει σαφής βούληση για δημιουργία βιώσιμου προτύπου δωρεάν συγκοινωνιών», λέει ο ερευνητής του Πανεπιστημίου των Βρυξελλών Βόιτσεκ Κεμπλόφσκι που σημειώνει πως το 2017 υπήρχαν 99 δίκτυα δωρεάν Δημόσιων Συγκοινωνιών στον κόσμο: 57 στην Ευρώπη, 27 στη Βόρεια και 11 στη Νότια Αμερική, 3 στην Κίνα και 1 στην Αυστραλία. Πολλά απ αυτά είναι μικρότερα απ αυτό της Δουνκέρκης και προσφέρουν ελεύθερη μετακίνηση για περιορισμένο χρόνο, διαδρομές και κατηγορίες πληθυσμού.
Ο αντίλογος στο θέμα των δωρεάν μεταφορών που αφορά κυρίως στις οικονομικές δυσκολίες του εγχειρήματος ίσως είναι δικαιολογημένος όμως ο δήμαρχος Patrice Vergriete πιστεύει ότι, «εφόσον είναι καλό για το περιβάλλον είναι ένα κοινωνικό μέτρο, μια χειρονομία αλληλεγγύης», πως:
«Δεν μπορείς να βάλεις τιμή στην κινητικότητα και στην κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη»

ΠΗΓΗ: The Guardian