Interview with Jesús Herrero, Secretary General of Atuc Sustainable Mobility

The coronavirus is changing life on the planet and will have consequences once the pandemic is over. Experts assure that – at least for a time – measures will need to be taken to avoid contagion. This new normality will also have to be applied to public transport, especially considering that it is designed to accommodate many people in relatively small spaces, a practice that can be risky as long as the echoes of the pandemic last. Today we chat with Jesús Herrero, Secretary General of Atuc Sustainable Mobility, to ask him some questions about the current situation of the COVID-19 crisis and the measures proposed by Atuc to minimize its impact. After several years at the head of the association as Secretary General of Atuc, what is your assessment of it? My years at Atuc have consisted of the continuation and expansion of the projects launched by my predecessor, Fidel Angulo, and Miguel Ruiz as president. Fortunately, little by little society is becoming more aware of the need for modal change, which implies a broader field of action for our association. We have continued to advance in the three fundamental pillars that inspire the association’s activity: relations with the administration on legislative and regulatory matters, the circulation of knowledge among our associates, and the promotion of public transport as the central piece of a new mobility model. What is the top priority for the public transport sector in terms of de-escalation? The top priority for the sector is to rigorously meet the mobility needs of our users. The priority does not change, it remains the same, what changes is the need to adapt to the situation by making public transport a sanitary environment offered with a frequency that allows for the greatest ‘sponginess’ of capacity. In terms of companies, providing an equally safe environment for employees. How is public transport expected to evolve in the medium and long term in our country? What are Atuc’s main concerns in this regard? In the long term, and by long term we mean between one year and a year and a half, we are confident that the situation will have reversed simply because by then the pandemic will be more under control and citizens’ mobility needs will, in principle, be similar. In the short and medium term, passenger numbers will increase gradually as economic and social activity recovers. As we move to higher phases in which, after the mandatory use of masks on public transport, occupancy will be allowed to increase. In any case, with the economic recession and the consequent increased unemployment rate, passenger volume will be affected. What measures does Atuc propose as a way to minimize the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on public transport? Given that the service provided by our companies is essential, a fundamental public service responsible for ensuring people’s mobility, the measures adopted to ensure its sustainability must be up to par. This is what we are defending before the Government. In recent weeks we have requested urgent measures such as the direct establishment of a financing line to provide liquidity to our companies or the deferral of Social Security contributions. At the moment, the administration has confirmed the creation of a compensation fund for urban and metropolitan transport, and we are awaiting details. The coronavirus pandemic has caused companies, workers, and users to adopt profound changes in relation to the use of public transport. Do you think some of these changes are here to stay even after the health crisis is over? It is difficult to comment on this at a time when we are still immersed in this health crisis and science still has limited knowledge about the coronavirus. However, there is no doubt that once the pandemic is over, the experience we have lived through will serve to improve. Recommendations are being promoted to the population, such as the use of private cars for travel to the detriment of collective transport. What does Atuc think about this? If this happens, what support from the administration would Atuc need to manage it? We are watching with concern the messages aimed at encouraging the use of private vehicles to the detriment of collective public transport. These are statements that unfortunately generate confusion and cause a loss of affection for public transport. The sector, as it could not be otherwise, has complied and is complying with strict protocols and safety measures to protect both users and workers. It is, in short, completely safe. And, of course, it is the sustainable alternative, the best possible alternative. That is the message that should and must be transmitted. If not, we would return to square one, only in an exaggerated way. That is, city centers absolutely congested and intolerable pollution levels, with which we would have achieved, not one, but two foci of disease. Finally, how could the flexibility and experience of the bodywork industry help Atuc to generate more confidence in collective mobility? The bodywork industry is the one that provides operators with the basic tool to carry out the work entrusted to them and is also the one with the most knowledge about vehicles. Therefore, its experience and flexibility are fundamental qualities when it comes to facing the specific needs of the service provided and ensuring its development with full guarantees.