Low-emission urban transport - study visit to Slovakia
A study visit to Slovakia took place from June 12th to 14th, 2023. It was attended by over 50 representatives of project partner municipalities responsible for urban transport. The visit was organized as part of the "Silesia. Blue Sky Restored" project. This task constitutes a direct implementation of the provisions of the Air Protection Program and is an important element of cross-border exchange of good practices, as it is coordinated and conducted by an international partner - EUWT TRITIA (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TRITIA).
During the visit, Orechová Potôň, Bratislava, and Žilina were visited. These cities have many innovative and ecological solutions in the field of public transport.
The first destination was Orechová Potôň, where hydrogen and electric buses were presented. At the end of the presentation, there was an opportunity to take a ride on a hydrogen bus around the area.
The next day started with a presentation by the Bratislava Transport Company, during which the operation of electric buses was extensively described and the advantages of dedicated lanes for public transport were highlighted. The next point was a ride on an electric bus and a tram, whose route runs on a green track. The ride ended at the construction site of a new tram line that is planned to be extended to an existing housing estate in the Petržalka district.
In the second part of the day, an innovative solution called the Bike Tower was presented. It is an automatic bike storage facility that enables safe bike storage. Additionally, 32-meter tram sets were presented (with plans for 50-meter sets) as well as the modernization and construction of new tram lines. The hydrogen refueling station was also showcased.
On the last day of the visit, participants learned about the actions taken by the Žilina City Transport Company to reduce pollution emissions and transition to zero-emission transport. This includes the use of hybrid trolleybuses equipped with battery power, which allows extending the route to areas where there is no power supply network yet. The benefits of using hybrid and electric buses were also presented.
After three very active and information-packed days, the second study visit organized as part of the "Silesia. Blue Sky Restored" project came to an end.
Projekt zintegrowany LIFE "Śląskie. Przywracamy błękit". Kompleksowa realizacja programu ochrony powietrza dla województwa śląskiego realizowany jest przy dofinansowaniu z Programu LIFE Unii Europejskiej oraz Narodowego Funduszu Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej.
LIFE20 IPE/PL/000007 - LIFE-IP AQP-SILESIAN-SKY