IMMACULATE LIFE02 ENV/GR/000359 - IMprovement of Urban Environment Quality of Air and Noise Levels by an Integrated, Cost Effective and MUlti-Level Application of Clean Vehicle Technologies
Overview
Background & policy context:
According to the 2001 TERM report, Greece is the fourth most polluted country in the EU in terms of CO2 emissions. With a population of approximately one million, Thessalonica is the metropolitan centre of northern Greece. An economic, transport and tourism centre, it is heavily-populated and congested and consequently, air pollution levels are high, particularly in the centre. It has seen a 76% growth in the number of vehicles from 1990 to 2001. Moreover, there is a shortage of 6,000-7,000 parking spaces in the city-centre. Consequently, air pollution in the city, particularly in the city centre, is high. To deal with this problem one of the three major policies that the city council has adopted is to promote the use of clean vehicles for both buses and private users.
Objectives:
The primary objective of the LIFE project was to improve the quality of air and to reduce the noise levels in Thessalonica. This was to be achieved by combining clean vehicle technologies (electric power-assisted bikes, electric scooters, hybrid passenger cars and a natural gas minibus) with other innovations in urban transport such as enhanced transport information, the use of management systems, smart-card technology and mobility management schemes.
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