Motor is Considered to Reduce Traffic in Europe, ACEM Unlocks Data

European cities are beginning to be encouraged not to rely too much on cars. The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) is asking for motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, three-wheeled vehicles, and small light four-wheeled vehicles to be seriously included in city transportation planning.

The impetus is contained in ACEM's new guide entitled "Rightsizing Urban Mobility", as reported by Visordown, quoted Wednesday, June 3. The idea is that for short trips, carrying goods, or daily mobility, small vehicles can be more efficient than private cars that take up a lot of space.

The guide is intended to help city governments include L-category vehicles in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, or sustainable urban mobility plans. L-category vehicles include motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, three-wheeled vehicles, and quadricycles, which are small and light four-wheeled vehicles.

This issue is urgent. By the end of 2027, as many as 431 cities in Europe must have such mobility plans and begin reporting mobility data to the European Commission. The decisions made now will also determine the face of European cities in the next decade.

ACEM assesses that L category vehicles are too often considered complementary in city policies. In fact, small vehicles can help three things at once, namely reducing congestion, cutting emissions, and saving space.

In a report quoted by Visordown, ACEM referred to the Transport & Mobility Leuven research. The study said that if 25 percent of car trips in the Brussels-Leuven corridor switch to motorcycles, congestion on the route could effectively disappear.

The reason is reasonable. Motorcycles need a smaller space. The road is not quickly full. The time spent because of stopping in traffic jams can also be reduced.

The issue of space is a major focus. Based on the analysis of Oxford Economics quoted by ACEM, replacing 1 percent of cars with motorcycles in the EU and the UK could free up about 25 square kilometers of parking space. The area is roughly equivalent to half of Luxembourg City.

If the shift is 5 percent, the freed space could reach 124 square kilometers, wider than Paris. If 10 percent, almost 250 square kilometers of urban space can be reused. The size is equivalent to Bucharest.

Land that size does not have to return to asphalt. ACEM said the space could be used for housing, parks, public spaces, or local businesses. So, the issue of motorcycles here is not just about parking. This concerns how the city regulates the living space of its citizens.

Environmental impacts are also calculated. According to ACEM, a 5 percent shift from cars to motorcycles in the EU and the UK could cut CO2 emissions by about 2.6 million tons per year. The value of the avoided climate costs is estimated at 308 million euros, or about 266 million pounds sterling.

Currently, motorcyclists account for around 3.4 percent of the 188 million commuters in the EU and the UK. Commuters mean people who regularly travel to work or activities. The contribution of motorcyclists is estimated to have saved 1.8 million tons of CO2, equivalent to a cost reduction of around 209 million euros.

Space efficiency is the most easily imagined argument. Four motorcycles can occupy one parking space. For a dense city, a small number like this can feel big if applied widely.

However, ACEM also emphasizes safety. Motorcyclists must be treated as vulnerable road users. Therefore, cities are not enough to provide space. It requires more serious road design, rules, and safety strategies in the midst of mixed traffic.

ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot said that motorcycles and scooters need to get out of the fringes of transport policy.

"The recognition that L-category vehicles have an important role in the future of urban mobility is growing," Perlot said, quoted by Visordown.

According to Perlot, this guide was made so that the city government could translate this recognition into real policies. The way is by including motorcycles, mopeds, three-wheeled vehicles, and quadricycles as clear and strategic modes of transportation.

ACEM's guidance will be presented to city authorities, mobility experts, and policymakers in the coming months. The test is whether this data will go to the city planner's desk, or lose again to old habits that give too much space for cars.