Representatives from Sofia City in Bulgaria and Semarang City in Indonesia met online on 10 March 2022 to continue their discussions on urban mobility, focusing on ways to limit the use of private vehicles and make public transport more attractive.
Both sides proposed a possible pilot area, the expected output and potential stakeholders. They expressed the same interest in developing bus lanes and improvement of last-mile connectivity. In addition, Semarang City was keen on learning about Sofia’s tram system as it is exploring ways to reactivate its own tram system and connect it to tourist areas.
In the case of Sofia, they raised the question about data sharing between the Semarang municipal government and online transportation providers. They were wondering if such generated data, e.g., the popular routes and the number of passengers, were useful in making better planning on urban mobility and could be relevant to the improvement of Sofia Coin. Sofia Coin is Sofia’s mobile app for stimulating citizens to use active and sustainable ways of getting around.
The meeting also discussed the initial plan for the study visit to Semarang City. If there are not any restrictions, the study visit may take place by the end of June this year.
The discussion was very productive and will be continued next month. The IURC team would individually follow up with each side to narrow down the possible pilot area.