Credit: Pexels

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works has announced the launch of the 22nd edition of the European Mobility Week, which will take place from Saturday 16 to Friday 22 September 2023 under the theme “Save energy”.

Since 2005, Luxembourg, in close collaboration with SYVICOL, the association of Luxembourg cities and municipalities, has actively participated in the European Mobility Week, which is organised annually in various European cities.

The objective of this international awareness campaign initiated by the European Commission and resulting from the “Day Without My Car” is to encourage as many people as possible to opt for soft mobility and alternatives to individual motorised transport. The campaign also aims to encourage and reward collective initiatives in favour of the development of sustainable mobility.

The choice of the theme "Save energy" reflects efforts to reduce energy consumption which have already had a positive impact on fuel reserves and prices. However, citizens can further explore the following ways to ensure their mobility habits contribute to these collective efforts:

  • using public transport more frequently;
  • travelling on foot or by bike for short-distance journeys of less than 5 km;
  • driving slowly to save fuel;
  • avoiding unnecessary travel.

As in previous years, several municipalities in the Grand Duchy will be participating in European Mobility Week and are implementing initiatives linked to the annual theme. To date, seventeen municipalities have registered, two of which (Contern and Bissen) meet the criteria to participate in the award ceremony at European level.

The criteria for this competition are as follows:

  • organise a week of activities between 16 and 22 September 2023, taking into account the annual theme “Save energy”;
  • implement at least one new permanent measure in order to develop urban developments dedicated to walking, cycling or public transport;
  • close one or more main roads in the municipality, preferably during the day of 22 September.

As part of European Mobility Week, various actions and measures will be proposed by the various municipalities. The national programme will be published on www.mobiliteitswoch.lu and will include, among other things, mobility days, cycle tours, second-hand bike markets, the distribution of croissants and bananas to public transport users as well as presentations of mobility concepts. Likewise, two municipalities will organise a car-free day, namely Erpeldange and Weiler-la-Tour.

Additionally, the City of Luxembourg, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, Luxtram, CFL and Info-Handicap, in collaboration with other partners, will launch the awareness campaign “Let’s live together, let’s move together!”

This thematic media campaign launched in 2021 aims to raise public awareness of mutual respect, good citizenship and solidarity between all travellers on public transport. This year, the emphasis will be placed on interactions and exchanges between all public transport users. The initiators of the campaign and their partners invite all passengers to adopt small, simple and inclusive gestures of kindness and mutual assistance towards all passengers and their respective needs.

Organised for more than two decades, European Mobility Week has become a transnational event on a European scale to improve the quality of life in municipalities and cities.