Project partners gathered for June meetings in Brno
On 3 and 4 June 2014, the project partners gathered for a series of meetings in Brno, Czech Republic. After a review of previous achievements and results, the formal exchange of lessons learned took center stage. All participants shared information and know-how about the eco-driving training sessions which were held for trams, trolleybuses and hybrid vehicles.
It is planned to actively use and apply the project results around the EU. Therefore it is all the more important that all partners can make their training results and lessons learned accessible to other public transport operators. Of course one must thereby take into consideration the different local parameters in each city. The results gathered quickly proved that the project goals of 3% energy savings for trams and 5% for diesel buses or electric buses such as hybrids or trolleys are realistic. Even greater energy savings could be achieved if modifications are made to timetables and journey times are slightly reduced. Almost all project participants consider the difficulty in reliably and consistently recording the degree of energy savings as the greatest challenge. The acquisition and installation of technical measurement devices would be very expensive, while there are also concerns about data protection and confidentiality with regards to the control of drivers. LVB and LAB therefore favor a voluntary scheme, allowing drivers to be active stakeholders in the process of collecting and analyzing data on energy savings.
With regards to the public perception of eco-friendly driving, surveys have revealed that there are different attitudes in different cities. While passengers in Salzburg would not be willing to accept a slower journey time for the sake of saving energy, given the frequent nature of traffic jams or travel delays in the city, over 80% of travelers in Leipzig, Parma or Brno could accept timetable adjustments in order to ensure a more environmentally-friendly ride. Until the completion of the project, a joint-effort will be made to create a so-called “starter kit” on eco-driving. This can then be used by any public transport operator that deploys electric vehicles. The goal remains to achieve energy savings around the EU and thereby ensure sustainable transportation and environmental protection.
Katrin Naumann, LVB
Alexandra Scharzenberger, trolley:motion
