Over 70% of the EU population live in an urban area, and 9 in 10 believe traffic where they live needs to be managed better.

Congestion and accidents are the visible signs of poor traffic management – one in every three fatal road accidents occurs in or near a city. But there are also other costs. Some 40% of CO2 emissions and 70% of other emissions from road transport come from traffic in towns and cities.

The EU has drawn up an action plan with 20 measures to make urban transport more sustainable and efficient over the next four years. The measures range from improved rights for public transport users to further EU funding for research on zero-emission vehicles.

Better urban transport will also help fight climate change, improve public health and reduce economic disparities between regions.