Imagine for a second a city centre where it would be easy to get there without risking traffic jams or to be able to sit on any terrace without having to breathe in the exhaust fumes. Today, in the quest for a car-free city, very few cities have managed to reduce traffic jams and air pollution. Except for one, Pontevedra. A city of 83,000 inhabitants, located in northwestern Spain, it is one of the first cities to have succeeded in getting rid of cars. Focus on this city at the forefront of sustainable mobility.
The city that promotes “no-car”…
Recognized as the pioneer city in terms of pedestrianization, cars have been banned from the city centre of Pontevedra for more than 20 years. Today, Pontevedra’s citizens walk almost 70% of their journeys. Introduced by Miguel-Anxo Fernandez-Lorez, mayor since 1999 for the 5th consecutive time, this pedestrianisation did not happen overnight. From the 15-minute parking limit in the city center to the raising of the roadways, to the recent reduction of the speed limit to 10 km/h since the end of October, vast urbanization works have been implemented, with no fatal road accidents recorded since 2001. In terms of results, since the 90s, this has made it possible to reduce the number of vehicles by more than 10, from 80,000 to 7,000. This reduction has led to a drop in CO2 emissions of about 60%.
The model of intermodality
This vast urban revolution is based, among other things, to a large extent on the creation of huge car parks. Nicknamed by the town council as “dissuasion car parks”, they are located around the town center of Pontevedra and are entirely free for 24 hours. No longer needing to turn around to find a parking space! The inhabitants have now got into the habit of parking their cars there. After, they can finish their journey on foot, bicycle or scooter. A “Metrominuto” application allows, among other things, to indicate the distance and walking time between the various points of attraction in the city.
Lyko, the intermodal solution at the service of cities
Aware that today it would be difficult to get to the same level as Pontevedra as quickly as it is today, we know that the solution cannot be based solely on rebuilding the city. Still addicted to their car, by habit, ease or obligation, it is difficult for almost 9 out of 10 French people to do without their car. Thanks to our powerful API, our ambition is to encourage them to change these daily habits. A real Mobillity as a Service toolbox, we help companies and cities, to deploy or improve their own mobility platform.
Aggregating nearly 2,500 transport operators worldwide, users can plan their trips. They can reserve their parking, their bike, their scooter, their VTC, their public transport ticket or even an airport shuttle. And, all on a single platform, via a single payment. With the aim of making daily and occasional journeys faster, cheaper and more sustainable. To learn more about our MaaS solution, please visit our website, lyko.tech.
