Mobility sphere Interview Access

What strategies can we implement to promote equity in transportation?

Jakop Dalunde, Member of the European Parliament Rédigé le June 11, 2024

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Jakop Dalunde: “I think many people would like to use public transport and trains more, but cost remains a barrier. If we made fares more attractive, more people would use them. In my view, we should allocate more of our shared resources and tax revenues to reducing the cost of public transport and rail travel. I grew up in Södermalm, in Stockholm. I don’t have a driver’s license, and I’ve been able to walk, bike, or take the metro all my life. It has been very easy for me to participate in the green transition naturally. But for many others, circumstances are different, and living sustainably is a real struggle. If people like me advocate for the transition in a way that feels too moralizing, we come across as morally superior — when in fact it has been easy for me to give up the car, unlike for others for whom it is much more difficult. So we need to be far less judgmental and focus more on making public transport easy to use outside cities. As for measures to discourage car use, I think we should prioritize urban congestion charges or parking fees in large metropolitan areas, rather than national measures that disproportionately affect rural communities.”

In this video, Jakop Dalunde, Member of the European Parliament, presents strategies for promoting equity in transportation.

I think many people would like to use public transport more and take the train more often, but cost is an obstacle. I'm convinced that if we make public transport and railroads more affordable, more people will be encouraged to use them. I therefore support the idea that we should devote more of our common resources, notably our tax revenues, to reducing the costs of public transport and railroads.

I grew up in Södermalm in Stockholm and don't have a driver's license. I have been able to get around on foot, by bike or by subway all my life. It was easy enough for me to take part in the ecological transition. But a lot of people live in different conditions. For these people, access to sustainable modes of transport is more limited: giving up the car may be simple for some, but not for all. The important thing is to focus our efforts on the accessibility of public transport outside cities.

As far as policies to financially discourage car use are concerned, I think it would be wiser to concentrate our efforts mainly in big cities, by introducing congestion charges and parking fees. We should prioritize these measures over national policies that disproportionately impact rural communities.