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The municipal administration invites the government and all the ministries to contribute with the ideas of sustainable mobility in the city through real actions. The municipality urges the downtown authorities to abandon reserved parking spaces and to use the long-term compensation of the public transport ticket as an incentive for employees.
“Currently, most of the state institutions where parking spaces are reserved are located in the city center; here the need for parking is naturally greater, so it should be available to all Vilnius residents. Now, of course , these issues are not relevant, I hope all ministry employees work remotely successfully, but when I return from quarantine, this issue will return immediately, so it needs to be resolved now. And this would be in line with the direction ambitious view on the government’s program to implement the Lithuanian green course, reduce air pollution and encourage less car use, ”says Povilas Poderskis, director of the municipal administration of Vilnius city.
The Vilnius City Municipality Administration proposes to abandon reserved places in state institutions, establishments and services. To comprehensively solve the parking challenges, new pedestrian and bicycle paths are being built in Vilnius, missing connections to the city center are being installed, and bike racks are being installed. If necessary, the municipality is willing to cooperate: to install new bike racks near the Government or the ministries.
Additionally, ministries are invited to address the challenges of car parking by more actively encouraging employees to work remotely, thereby reducing traffic. The need for reserved parking spaces would also be reduced with more frequent use of electric cars. Its drivers receive a variety of incentives, including free parking.
Traveling by public transport helps address more than just the lack of parking spaces. This contributes to the reduction of car traffic, reduces air pollution and also helps to achieve a more balanced and harmonious movement in the city.
“We conduct annual surveys on travel habits, in public sector institutions about 44 percent. Workers come to work in public transport. Another about 37 percent. Those who do not use it now would travel by bus and trolley if their employer encourage them. We strongly advise ministries to submit applications: we will conduct an investigation to clarify the need for funds, possible changes in mobility and the amount of decreasing subsidies. In addition, we are currently changing the prices of public transport tickets, which will encourage companies and organizations to buy long-term tickets for their employees ”, said Modesta Gusarovienė, director of the company Sazimo paslaugos.
According to M. Gusarovienė, public transport tickets are an additional means of motivating employees, clearly reflecting the social responsibility of employers. Such a measure has been applied by the municipality for several years, and in 2020 up to 763 companies bought tickets for employees.
