TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY – CONFLICTS, IMPACTS, PRINCIPLES, CONDITIONS, ASPECTS OF CEECs

There is a growing realisation that the present economic and technological tendencies are unsustainable, in this respect the transport sector came to crossroads, due to its increasing conflicts with the living and built environment, the degradation, loading, pollution impacts. This study surveys the impact and conflict elements between transport and environment, referring to the main three geographical levels – global, regional and local – including air pollution, land use and intrusion, noise, congestion, accidents and related social impacts. Regarding the basic environmental principles, the study submits proposals for their adaptation in the transport issues, first of all: sustainable development, the precautionary approach, the prevention, the responsibility, the polluter pays principle and other elements, like the integration approach, the environmental limits, the demand management, the environmental efficiency or the equity, as principles. Concerning the environmental conditions of sustainable mobility, the study surveys the measurable transport impacts including the environmental objectives and selects criteria for sustainability. These criteria are: nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ozone, particulate matters, carbon dioxide, land use and noise. Regarding air quality, the study proposes vehicle emission and ambient air pollution levels, referring to WHO-EURO levels and OECD proposals and this is the case for land use and noise impacts as well. Finally the study selects tasks and preferences for the main fields of transport, including international and domestic freight transport, domestic and urban passenger transport and soft modes like cycling and pedestrian mobility.