This week is European Mobility Week, and several towns and cities in the Czech Republic have agreed to take the initiative to look into the different aspects of urban mobility, through discussion programmes, lectures, and special events. Last year 320 cities from 21 European countries participated in the campaign and the Czech Environment Ministry, together with the Foreign Ministry, supported it for the first time. Eva Veverkova is the campaign's chief co-ordinator in the Czech Republic:
"The objective of the European Car Free Day and the European Mobility Week is to draw the attention of citizens to the issue of car traffic in towns and to recommend them to choose the public transportation alternative and support the active approach of citizens towards cities. The motto for this year is 'accessibility'- to create a pleasant city that is accessible to anyone. So, towns focus their activities on people with disabilities and citizens with reduced mobility such as the elderly, families with children, or pregnant women. The European Car Free Day accompanied by the European Mobility Week is an educational and promotional event organised in EU countries since 1998 and it is taking place in the Czech Republic for the second year. Thirteen towns are participating this year out of which ten of them are participating in both events." And how exactly are they participating?
"They prepare events and competitions for children. For example, Ceske Budejovice has an activity called 'Ride in a wheelchair'. The same event will be in the town of Kromeriz called 'Can you tame my wheelchair?', where healthy children have the chance to try to ride in this vehicle. Also in Kromeriz, the blind will talk about the barriers in their everyday journeys through the city at a round-table discussion with the local authorities. The town of Hodonin will prepare a 'Day of limited mobility' when both healthy and disabled children can play and compete in games in wheelchairs and small vehicles. The Czech Minister of Environment, Libor Ambrozek, will visit Hodonin and Kromeriz on Sunday to take part in the European Mobility Week events." Mrs Veverkova also points out that those towns that participated in the campaign last year have already made a significant step towards improving urban mobility. European Mobility Week peaks with the Car Free Day next Monday, when parts of some towns and cities in Europe, including the Czech Republic, will be closed to traffic and local personalities and politicians plan to "go to town without their cars". In the Czech Republic, for example, three ministers have already promised to use public transport to get to Monday's government session.
