Workshops in Pirot and Sabac on the development of Urban Mobility Plans

The Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities supports Pirot and Sabac in the preparation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. Support is part of the project "Sustainable Urban Mobility in Towns and Municipalities in Serbia" funded by the Open Regional Fund for Energy Efficiency of South East Europe of German Development Cooperation (GIZ ORF EE).

Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans include the involvement of various interest groups and citizens in the process of drafting. In this sense, during July, the first workshops were held in both towns with interested parties.

Work teams in both towns have been designated by institutions, companies and individuals who they think have a special interest in developing a plan. Some of the recognized institutions are: primary and secondary schools, public transport companies, taxi services, tourist organizations and many others.

At the workshop held in Sabac on 16 July 2019, the Commission for the development of the plan, together with interested parties, discussed the existing traffic problems in the town, such as: high degree of motorization, unconscious participants in traffic, lack of bicycle paths. As the advantages of the town, the projects of improvement of public areas, pedestrian zone, and existence of a bypass for freight traffic have been highlighted. One of the topics discussed was the improvement of public transport, especially in the light of the announced public private partnership for the introduction of new lines for town transport. This year, Sabac will actively join and mark the European Mobility Week from 16 to 22 September.

The Workshop in Pirot was held on 17 July 2019. Some of the basic problems that have been spotted so far and for which the Plan will try to answer are: the problem of a large number of passenger cars in the town, parking on public surfaces and sidewalks, and the lack of bicycle paths and road lanes. Some of the advantages of the Town of Pirot that have been identified and for which further improvement is planned are: the tradition of cycling, traffic safety, the quality of green areas and recreation areas, new pedestrian zones, better connectivity of all parts of the town area, better public transport. The plan will also provide answers to some of the challenges that will arise in the near future, such as electric vehicles (bicycles, scooters, cars), carpooling and other services.

 In both towns, the development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans will be intensively continued in September.