Michael Angrick, Head of Division at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), conferred the certificate for the first Blue Angel of its kind today in Hannover. "A mobility card and a smartphone are the key to intelligent mobility of the future. Networked and integrated mobility options such as 'HANNOVERmobile' can be used flexibly and are less costly than having a private car. It even makes it possible to do without one's own car, yet not forgo being mobile."
Ulf Mattern, Executive Director of the Greater Hannover Transport Association (GVH), said: "We are proud to be the first public transport operator to be awarded the Blue Angel for our mobility card. One-stop mobility is the guiding principle of the GVH. It links various modes of transport such as bus and train, carsharing, the 'BahnCard 25' rail discount card and other services which comprise a mobility package from a single source. These services can in fact replace car ownership."
When various modes of transport are so closely interlinked, the result is fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less air pollution as compared to average emissions from the use of a private automobile. This saves resources and means that less land is consumed – and land is often in short supply, especially in cities. Studies of station-based carsharing schemes have shown that, depending on local conditions, a single carsharing vehicle can replace between five and fifteen private vehicles. Attractive services offered with a mobility card lead to a modal shift towards ecomobility. This is a form of active environmental and climate protection at the local level.
A mobility card must meet strict standards to be awarded the Blue Angel. For example, districts with a population of more than 250,000 must provide at least three modes of transport. Smaller catchment areas must offer at least two types of service. Local public transport must be an option in all schemes. The scheme must bring about a modal shift to environmentally friendly modes of transport. This is also why it must include an annual survey among new customers regarding private automobile ownership. The aim is to determine whether car ownership has dropped. Service providers must guarantee a standardized form of registration for all the modes of transport in the scheme. Finally, the package must be less costly than the sum of its individual elements.
The transport sector is the source of a considerable share of CO2 emissions in Germany, which is roughly 19 per cent, or 154 million tonnes, in 2012. Protection of the environment and health, in addition to urban planning issues, make it desirable to create services which render car ownership unnecessary. Mobility cards are one such solution. They combine various transport services and are an environmentally just alternative. The ecolabel for mobility cards aims to make sustainable mobility possible by linking different mobility elements and by providing flexible service – all without the use of a private car.
