BUENOS AIRES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--81 percent of Argentine citizens are willing to not use their private vehicles at certain times to improve air quality in the city. As a transportation alternative, 80 percent favor initiatives such as VAO lanes (for cars with more than one occupant), 92 percent the use of electric vehicles and 85 percent bicycles. This was confirmed by the population-representative Kapsch TrafficCom Index 2020 survey conducted in March of this year.

Although a broad consensus already existed among the population, practice during the Corona crisis is proving to be at odds with expectations: Passenger numbers on local public transport have fallen dramatically. On the other hand, we are seeing a sharp increase in the use of bicycles. Mobility experts advise exploiting this window of opportunity to achieve traffic management and air quality objectives with specific actions.

“Mobility departments in large cities around the world had to react quickly during the pandemic to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists," says Carlos Wiedmaier, Vice President of Solution Consulting at Kapsch TrafficCom for Latin America. “To maintain social distance, existing ciclovías have been expanded, and new ciclovías have been created. City managers should seize the opportunity that now exists to implement systems that make it possible to generate sustainable mobility in the long term.”

For Carlos Wiedmaier "the pandemic has opened up an opportunity for us to reconsider mobility strategies. Holistic management is needed for more efficient, resilient, and sustainable transportation systems.”

Mobility Management in Buenos Aires

In Buenos Aires, steps are already being taken in this direction: The Integrated Mobility Management System (IMMS) developed by Kapsch is based on obtaining and processing data in real time. The Kapsch EcoTrafiX solution, implemented for the Buenos Aires SGIM, analyzes the information coming from multiple data sources: from traditional vehicle counting stations to more advanced ones, based on real time image analysis.

"Thanks to this project, the city can make better planning to develop multimodal mobility, prioritizing public transport, while promoting its commitment to accessibility, improving pedestrian safety and the development and promotion of cycling,” says Carlos Wiedmaier. “As a result, Buenos Aires is more prepared to implement solutions to reduce congestion and thus improve the care of the environment, reducing pollution”.

Contacts

Press contact
Verónica Horta
veronica.horta@kapsch.net