The European Commission has today officially launched the enhanced Eltis website, fulfilling one of its key commitments made less than a year ago in the Urban Mobility Package.

The new website, which the Commission has re-designed to allow for better ways for cities to share experiences, showcase best practices and foster co-operation in sustainable urban mobility, has improved the gathering and hosting of valuable urban mobility tools and resources.

It has integrated the content from the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans website (formerly MobilityPlans.eu), including it in a new Mobility Plans section. This new section provides in-depth information on how to develop and implement mobility plans, with relevant guidelines, resources and a database of cities that are already involved.

Editorial content on the new website has also been transformed. New case studies are being produced to a high standard, expertly written and focused on actions, results and what lessons can be learned for other cities. Plans for an overhaul and update of older existing case studies are underway.

The new website now features a community forum where European urban mobility professionals can exchange ideas, collaborate and discuss urban mobility matters. Through becoming a Friend of Eltis, community members can also share news, case studies, events and tools of their own on the new website.

To read more about the new Eltis website, visit the About Us section. To stay up-to-date with Eltis, subscribe to the monthly Eltis Mobility Updates.

For any questions or comments, please contact the Eltis team via our contact form, Twitter or Facebook. 

Source: Eltis 

Four all-electric buses have begun operating in Barcelona as part of an extended trial within the EU-funded ZeEUS project.

Two different models are being tested on Barcelona's streets, one manufactured in Spain and the other in Poland. The four buses meet the requirements set by the city's public transport operator, Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB). They can operate for 16 hours at a time without refuelling, and feature reserved spaces for disabled travellers, air conditioning and on-board information systems.

Barcelona's bus fleet is among the most environmentally sustainable in Europe. It includes 411 buses fuelled by CNG and 130 hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, it has introduced high-performance filters to reduce the emissions from diesel vehicles.

A total of 35 electric buses made by six European manufacturers will be tested in cities participating in the ZeEUS project. As well as Barcelona, the other cities involved in the project are Plzeň (Czech Republic), Bonn and Münster (Germany), Cagliari (Italy), Stockholm (Sweden), and Glasgow and London (United Kingdom).

For more information, visit eysmunicipales.es (link is external) (in Spanish) and zeeus.eu (link is external).

Source: Eltis 

Istanbul Electric Tramway and Tunnel Enterprises (IETT), one of Istanbul's two public transport operators, has announced that it aims to have electric buses make up 25 per cent of its fleet by 2019, a move that will help reduce air pollution in the Turkish capital.

The testing of the electric bus models by IETT is already underway, as are further plans to increase by 30 per cent the number of buses in its fleet that run on compressed natural gas (CNG), a cleaner and quieter alternative fuel to diesel or petrol.

Mümin Kahveci, IETT's General Manager, announced the operator's target at a press conference in September. He also highlighted that due to a recent bus accident, maintenance standards had been reviewed and scheduled checks had been increased.

IETT's current bus fleet totals 3 060 vehicles. It also operates Istanbul's tram network, rapid bus transit lines and funicular railway. Istanbul's metro network is operated by İstanbul Ulaşım.

For more information, visit ciddihaber.com (link is external) (in Turkish).

Source: Eltis