Governments must reallocate road space, says new report

Governments must reallocate road space in order to improve the environment and create healthier cities, according to a new report published by the International Transport Forum. 

The report, which examines how governments can reduce car-dependency, explains that managing the growth of urban traffic is vital. 

The report highlights that car use between peripheral areas will likely be irreplaceable, therefore the objective should not be to suppress travel by car, but to channel it to locations and uses where its value to the individual exceeds the costs it imposes on society.

In order to achieve this, governments must ensure that there is an adequate level of car-free accessibility through other travel options including public transport, cycling, shared micromobility and walking.

This will require the creation of safe walking and cycling infrastructure.

In the short to medium-term, this will mean reallocating space away from roads and parking. In the longer-term, it will mean changes in land-use patterns to maintain high levels of accessibility with lower overall levels of mobility. 

Based on this, the authors of the report suggest that the Government should review how much road and parking space is allocated to the different transport modes.

Richard Corbett, Regional General Manager of Voi Technology commented on this report: ‘This report echoes our mission statement and recommends causes we’ve been championing since launch. It’s a significant and positive step towards a cleaner, safer, more sustainable future to see such a well-regarded think tank, associated with a highly influential group of 37 countries, make such recommendations. 

‘We believe it’s crucial to reallocate space in cities and build better lanes for all lightweight travellers. This will make our streets safer and offer more space for the local community to thrive.

‘By sharing data with cities, we help with improving the understanding of traffic flows. And by integrating with public transport in many cities, we further improve the accessibility and flexibility of urban transport, presenting a viable alternative to short car rides. We’re confident that these recommendations and this report will kickstart the next stage towards reclaiming our cities.’

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