As that is already well known for our Readers, the Interreg Europe Programme organizes online events and webinars for the economic development and environmental sustainability of the European Union. The Policy Learning Platform service of the Programme provides speeches of well-known experts in the given topic (it is shared mobility in this case), and the Good Practices of granted projects will also be presented.
The South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency is partner in the SMARTAUTO project, which aims to explore and scale up self-driving solutions in logistics, private transport and public transport. This effort is complemented by supporting easier access to rural areas and promoting intermodal (and, where possible, self-driving) transport solutions.
The Policy Learning Platform event called "Shared Mobility" took place on the afternoon of 16 September 2025. The South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency also participated in the webinar, as it received support for the implementation of the above-mentioned "SMARTAUTO - Smart Policy Innovation for Enhanced Automation in European Transport" project which was approved for funding within the framework of the third application round of the Interreg Europe Programme.
The online event made it clear that shared mobility is a multifaceted concept that includes the shared use of cars, bicycles, scooters, but also the sharing of freight forwarding of goods. These solutions allow citizens to become less and less dependent on whether they have their own vehicle or not. An additional benefit is the reduction of harmful environmental emissions (carbon dioxide, various particles, noise pollution, etc.). Shared mobility is also typically not the domain of the public sector, but in this segment, market players dominate.
The Interreg Europe Program itself has already examined many aspects of shared mobility in several specific projects, as can be seen in the photo below.
In the second half of the event, we heard three presentations, each of which featured experts reporting on different aspects of shared mobility.
In Bremen (Germany), a service provider has been operating a car-sharing service since 2013 at the initiative of the municipality, which is also a Good Practice of the SMAPE project. The creation of vehicle pick-up points is the result of conscious urban planning, which takes about one or two years.
Since the beginning, the number of users of these vehicles has increased more than fivefold. Similarly, after thorough preparation, the city launched a public bike service (with 1,450 bicycles) and a public freight bike service (with 60 bicycles) in April 2025. The service is being promoted by a communication campaign, within the framework of which the use of the bicycles was free of charge for the first month. Another lesson from the Bremen example is that the pick-up points are also multimodal hubs for micromobility, and the speaker also highlighted the importance of learning from international projects. Of course, properly parameterized public procurement documentation also matters.
The closing remarks in Bremen were followed by a presentation by the POLIS Network (Cities and Regions for Transport Innovation) on well-designed procurement processes for high-quality shared mobility services. The POLIS speaker presented the main messages of their report on the same subject, published in 2025.
If it is about shared mobility, it must be based on rules, and on rules that can be implemented in practice. The obvious solution for a given situation does not mean that it is also the right solution for that situation. It is recommended to be cautious if the rules are based on community demand. In other words, regulating shared mobility in a given settlement is not a simple task. The enforceability of the rules is also important, and the question arises as to whether shared mobility in passenger cars has any impact on individual use of vehicles, whether it leads to a decrease in it.
The last presentation dealt with the relationship between shared mobility and using of public spaces in the example of Brindisi (Italy). The PARSMO project that provided the framework for the presentation specifically focused on parking regulation in this context. The project also had a parallel focus on parking regulation in small and medium-sized cities.
As in all cases, the conclusions drawn here are worth paying attention to. We need to plan ahead, that is, we need to think about how to meet the demand, i.e. the need for shared mobility, before it appears. Parking regulations should be amended to promote a greater demand for shared mobility. Parking regulations should be in line with housing and urban planning goals. Parking regulations are needed that, on the one hand, orientate road users and, on the other hand, enable their participation in it. Last but not least, the use of the results and tools of (public) financing and digitalization is also of decisive importance.
The webinar concluded with an exchange of views between the speakers and answers to questions from the participants.
The participation of the South Transdanubia Regional Innovation Agency in the SMARTAUTO project and in the Interreg Europe Programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Hungary.
