European Mobility Week 2020 competitions have been announced in Gozo during the launch of the 2017 edition winner by the San Lawrenz Council.

An on-demand transport service with an electric van together with an e-bike sharing service were launched during a visit to the locality by Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri.

These services are possible thanks to a grant won by the same council in the 2017 edition of the European Mobility Week.

Minister Borg said, “from its beginning in 2014, the European Mobility Week has given around €548,000 in grants which led to 14 permanent projects like this and 36 different activities which happened during the same week in September in the last few years.”

He explained that tis year, the theme is – Zero-emission mobility for all – with the aim of taking a step towards the European Green Deal objectives. “As with every year, we will have a permanent measures competition, a competition for awareness-raising activities, the national bike ride and a Car Free Day.”

Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri said that electricity for this community van will be generated by photovoltaic panels owned by the San Lawrenz Council, and the service will therefore operate through renewable energy from start to finish.

“We are witnessing local councils who are benefitting from this permanent initiative, which will begin and continue moving forward,” he said.

“As Ministry for Gozo, we want to see how we can continue to incentivise and help such initiatives to see Gozo benefitting in the best way from alternative energy initiatives, and I therefore look forward to see this service operating together with the Local Council and to expand this service to other villages,” said the Gozo Minister.

He concluded by thanking Minister Ian Borg, and said that he looks forward to more projects and collaborative work.

The European Mobility weeks takes place from the 16th to the 22nd September. As with other years, Transport Malta will administer two competitions.

The permanent measures competition is open for local councils with the goal of long-term planning for sustainable mobility, with special focus on walking, cycling, micro-mobility and accessible infrastructure.

The first winner will receive a sum of €50,000 while the second winner will get €30,000.

Additionally, another competition exists for activities organised during that week only by local councils and NGOs in respective localities.

Here, grants vary from €1,500 for the organisation of a car free day on the 22nd of September, to €2,000 for the organisation of events during that week, to €2,500 for the organisation of both activities and a car free day.

The Authority said that it plans to hold the National Bicycle Ride on the 21st of September of this year.

The deadline for permanent measures applications is the 25th of September, while registrations for activities to be organised during European Mobility Week will be accepted until the 15th of September.

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