[REPORT]

Information, Integration and Innovation. The Powered Two-Wheeler contribution to better quality of life in cities

On 20 November, over 100 participants took part to the 4th Annual ACEM Conference to exchange knowledge on the theme of urban mobility and Powered Two-Wheelers.  Attendees at the Residence Palace in Brussels ranged from ACEM member manufacturers, to users, the European Commission, MEPs, city and national authorities, and other transport stakeholders. The event was chaired by Malcolm Harbour MEP.

Following a welcome speech by ACEM President Stefan Pierer, DG TREN Deputy Director General Zoltan Kazatsay set the scene presenting the European Commission's new Green Paper “Towards a new culture for urban mobility” and the challenges raised by transport in cities.  Against this background, he highlighted the PTW positive contribution in terms of congestion relief and time-efficient mobility of people and goods, as well as the improvements which should be achieved in terms of road safety and environment.

ACEM Secretary General Jacques Compagne picked up on the different themes identified by Mr Kazatsay and presented Industry initiatives in the field of urban mobility, to maximise the PTW congestion relief opportunities while further reducing the environmental impact of the vehicle and improving the safety of the user.  Many of these initiatives can be catalysed by partnerships with local authorities, and the Commission can support the exchange of best practices when it comes to the effective integration of PTW in urban transport plans.

Bertrand Olivier Ducreux of French environment agency ADEME complemented this information with real-life data comparing PTW and cars in Paris traffic.  The data collected confirmed that PTW have significantly reduced travelling and parking times, and obvious advantages in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 production.  Their environmental performance in terms of emissions under current EURO3 PTW standard, whilst lagging behind present EURO4 car standard, shows a significant improvement over previous tail pipe emissions.

Sylvain Haon, POLIS Executive Director and Fabio Nussio, ATAC Rome Mobility Agency Head of International Relations, brought forward the view of city authorities.  They announced common initiatives jointly developed with ACEM in the field of road safety, with the launch in 2008 of the European Urban Road Safety Platform and eSUM (European Safer Urban Motorcycling), a project co-financed by the European Commission.  In his presentation, Mr Nussio also highlighted different initiatives in Rome and other major European cities supporting the integration of PTWs, from a mobility, safety and environmental point of view.

The presentations were followed by a questions and answers session moderated by Malcolm Harbour, which involved both the Speakers and the audience.  Several interesting points were addressed, within the general discussion on urban mobility and the role of motorised traffic in European cities, with an outlook towards the future. In his concluding remarks, Mr Pierer summarised the opportunities and the challenges for the PTW sector and emphasised the commitment of ACEM to working in partnership with local authorities to further contribute to the integration of PTW in sustainable urban transport plans.
In conjunction with the conference, an exhibition of powered two-wheelers urban solutions and manufacturers’ innovations was organised, showcasing innovative products by ACEM manufacturers, fitting the different urban uses of Powered Two-Wheelers.

All material related to the Conference is available on the ACEM website.
ACEM will contribute to the European Commission consultation on the Green Paper on Urban Mobility, closing on 15 March 2008.