The Council of Ministers approved a strategy in December 2021 that will guide the actions of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) for the coming years and outlines what mobility will look like in 2030 in Spain. Instead of investing in new infrastructure, the ministry has proposed optimizing existing ones, working towards environmentally sustainable and digitized transport, and addressing the real mobility needs of citizens. In this post, we will thoroughly analyze the Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030, also known as es.movilidad.
Reasons for developing this strategy
According to MITMA, the Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030 arises from the need to respond to the new challenges facing the transport sector. The ministry identifies three main challenges: the massive introduction of technology in mobility; the need for decarbonization of the economy; and the greater concentration of population in large cities and peri-urban areas, with their implications for congestion, people’s health (air quality, noise), and the depopulation of rural areas.
To address these new challenges, MITMA believes that investing in new transport infrastructure would not be necessary because “Spain is a pioneer in infrastructure.” In the document accompanying the strategy, the ministry explains that future investments should be directed towards the maintenance and conservation of existing infrastructure, the search for solutions for daily mobility, digitalization, intermodality, and safety.
In order to establish clear and ordered objectives that lead to overcoming the aforementioned challenges, MITMA has divided the Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030 into nine strategic axes, from which a total of 40 lines of action and 150 specific measures stem.
Strategic Axes, Lines of Action, and Measures
These 150 measures to update and improve the transport sector require the commitment of all administrations and all actors in the mobility ecosystem in Spain, including Grupo Castrosua.
As mentioned, the 150 measures are included in 40 lines of action, which in turn are part of nine strategic axes. Below, we will discuss the principles and goals of each strategic axis and mention some of the measures that integrate them:
Axis 1: Mobility for All
One of the principles of this strategy is that mobility is a right for all citizens. Therefore, one of MITMA’s goals is to offer “mobility solutions for everyone, everywhere, as alternatives to private vehicles.” The strategy also seeks to guarantee mobility for people with disabilities or reduced mobility (PRM) and integrate urban development and mobility policies.
Some of the measures to be taken to achieve objectives such as the above include:
- Establishment of a system of mobility quality indicators in rural areas
- Promotion of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans
- Analysis of financing mechanisms for the implementation of mobility assistants in intercity bus stations
Axis 2: New Investment Policies
The Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030 advocates for a shift from infrastructure investment to mobility investment. In the document accompanying the strategy, MITMA calls for a review of the investment prioritization process in transport matters, in accordance with available resources and social profitability criteria. To achieve this, it proposes measures such as the following:
- Establishment of investment criteria and prioritization of investments in the Sustainable Mobility Law
- Improvement of public participation in the development of transport infrastructure and service plans and projects
- Financing of collective urban public transport
Axis 3: Safe Mobility
Another principle of this strategy is that safety is a fundamental transversal element of the right to mobility. MITMA’s objectives include strengthening investment in maintenance and conservation as a central pillar of safety, as well as incorporating technology to improve safety.
Among the measures that make up this third axis dedicated to safe mobility are:
- Actions to improve road safety on the State Road Network
- Specific training programs in safety for transport sector personnel
- Application of Big Data and artificial intelligence techniques in safety control systems
Axis 4: Low-Emission Mobility
By drafting this strategy, MITMA aims to improve people’s quality of life by protecting their physical health and mental well-being, as well as achieving maximum efficiency in the use of resources and in the management of transport systems, means, and terminals. To this end, the Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030 sets among its objectives to increase the efficiency of the transport system by promoting co-modality and intermodality; reduce environmental and noise pollution; and contribute to the long-term decarbonization of the economy through the progressive electrification of transport.
This strategic axis includes measures such as:
- Promotion of infrastructure for electric vehicle charging
- Promotion of public infrastructure for hydrogen vehicle refueling
- Incentives for the renewal of the road transport vehicle fleet
- Noise control at transport terminals
Axis 5: Smart Mobility
Among the objectives set in this strategy are also improving the user experience in the transport sector, enhancing the efficiency of the transport system as a whole, and implementing intelligent infrastructure management. To achieve goals like these by 2030, it establishes measures such as the following:
- Promote the publication of open mobility data and the development of mobility applications
- Development of smart stations
- Collaboration with Universities and Industry to foster R&D&I in mobility
Axis 6: Intermodal Logistics Chains
The strategy developed by MITMA also focuses on freight transport, with its main objective being to prioritize freight transport by rail, involving public companies affiliated with MITMA in the development of transport intermodality, especially in freight logistics nodes.
The axis dedicated to intermodal logistics chains includes measures such as:
- Promotion of rail motorways
- Creation of a catalog of logistics and intermodal nodes in Spain
Axis 7: Connecting Europe and Connected to the World
MITMA desires continuous and seamless mobility in our connections with Europe. In its strategy, it proposes, among others, these measures:
- Completion of the TEN-T Core Network (Trans-European Transport Network) at the national level
- Promotion and strengthening of multimodal transport nodes connected to TEN-T
Axis 8: Social and Labor Aspects
The measures that make up this strategic axis have been formulated based on principles such as the fact that citizen awareness is key to moving towards sustainable and safe mobility and that new business models cannot pose a threat to labor rights.
To address social and labor aspects in the transport sector between now and 2030, MITMA will take these measures:
- Awareness and sensitization campaign on safe, sustainable, and connected mobility for different groups
- Working group to identify professional profiles required by the transport sector and implement the necessary qualifications
Axis 9: Evolution and Transformation of MITMA
In its Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030, MITMA assumes cultural and organizational changes within the ministry itself to face, among other challenges:
- Achieve a complete digital transformation in MITMA’s processes
- Become an organization that promotes innovation
- Foster the ministry’s involvement in international forums
If you wish, you can read all the measures for these nine axes on the MITMA website dedicated to the Safe, Sustainable, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030; in this post, we have highlighted only some of the most important ones that we believe will contribute to solving citizens’ real mobility problems. At Castrosua, we share with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda the belief that mobility is a right, an element of social cohesion, and economic growth. The pandemic has shown us the need for a sustainable and efficient transport and logistics system; we hope to see significant progress between 2022 and 2030 thanks to the involvement of MITMA and other actors in the mobility ecosystem. What do you think?
