Bogdan Tudorache

Bucharest ranked 13th out of 14 cities evaluated by Greenpeace in a new report on mobility and climate published by Greenpeace. The report, prepared by the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, is a complement to the 2018 cities ranking on sustainable mobility, analyzing 13 European cities.

Bucharest was compared with the other cities in terms of public transport, road safety, air quality, mobility management and active mobility. Overall, Bucharest ranked 13th out of 14 cities, based on the score obtained for each indicator.

In the indicators of road safety, air quality and active mobility (without any engined-powered device – walking, cycling, skateboarding, rollers, etc.), Bucharest was ranked in the penultimate place, and in terms of mobility management, it took the last place. In these areas, concrete improvements are needed, such as the development of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, the fight against illegal parking on sidewalks, the expansion of urban green spaces, and also for the prioritization of traffic-friendly public transport means to reduce travel time and, by therefore, to increase their attractiveness for locals and commuters.

“The poor ranking occupied by Bucharest is the result of several reasons. It has the highest level of congestion among the 14 cities analyzed, with a daily commuting rate of 48% on private vehicles and a relatively low share of active mobility, of only 16%. In addition, the green space per capita in the capital is below 10sqm, while the EU norm is 26sqm/ capita,” said Alin Tanase, Greenpeace Romania’s campaign coordinator.