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Before the appointment of the Mayor of Murcia as president of the European Mobility Forum EUROCITIES express our astonishment, especially when the note issued by the city council says without embarrassment that "Murcia ... has been working hard in recent years to achieve the status that today is recognized by awarding the presidency of the European forum.

As citizens we move through the city daily and observe the reality is far from the beautiful portrait painted by Mr. House, and as a political group that has made mobility environmentally and socially sustainable urban one of the main workhorses, we asked about the requirements that have required our town and we assume that this is more a matter of political expediency than a real and effective policies in the field of sustainable urban mobility are conspicuous by their absence.

So we know very well what is our role but gives us fear when we are told that "this privileged position will defend positions and policies of mobility, being beneficial to all European cities, to adapt to the idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of the Cities of South and Eastern Europe, among which is Murcia. "

Fear gives us this idiosyncrasy that is based on urban developments are anything but compact, private and third world public transport, promotion of private vehicles and no bike lanes.

In any case, we commend the Mayor for this appointment we hope to serve as setting the objectives of this forum, our municipality will promote a new culture for urban mobility and suggest you take the opportunity to copy some of our neighbors to the north instead to promote our model and, as there is still time to rectify, we send a number of suggestions for our county:

That, as you well recognize Eurocities documents, mobility means not only transportation, but a coordinated set of policies aimed at reducing travel and improving the quality of life of citizens.

In other words, mobility has to do, and much, our planning model.

That the goal of mobility and transport policy aims to improve the quality of life and health of citizens, not vice versa.

Any mobility policy must be based on a clear commitment to reduce travel in private vehicles rather than enhance them with more roads and parking in the center.

Sustainable mobility means taking seriously the promotion of public transport that should be used should have advantages in front of the car as punctuality and speed (more fleet and unique platforms that give a prompt service), convenience and accessibility, intermodality information, and of course savings for regular users (quarterly transportation card).

Public transport you really should aim to improve mobility where needed and not other interests such as urban development to reassess those who give the pitch, it's in full.

And of course a priority and a comprehensive network of bike lanes is not the same way that cycling trails, and gentle ways and played the guy with the "promotion of cycling," which is what the mayor prefers to speak in his own words.

Esther Herguedas, Councillor IU + Greens municipality of Murcia.

Source: Izquierda Unida + Los Verdes Murcia