Sustainable transport and Mobility management in small communities – examples
from SWEPOMM
Mölndal
Population: 60,000
The municipality is located close to Göteborg, meaning it is an urban community with relatively
dense traffic at peak hours due to commuting.
Mölndal has worked on mobility management for several years and carries out a wide range of
activities, using both own resources and national or EU financing. The municipality has targeted
and worked with its own employees, citizens and companies located in the area, often in
partnership with the larger municipality of Göteborg. The aims have been both to improve the
local traffic and environmental situations, and to adapt to and meet future demands. Overall,
Mölndal’s strategy aims towards (1) reducing the number of unnecessary journeys and increasing
accessibility; (2) facilitating and stimulating use of public transport, cycles and walking; (3)
increasing efficiency of car journeys (i.e. decreasing number of driver-only journeys); (4)
increasing awareness of traffic, environmental and health issues.
Mölndal reports that campaigns and special events can help focus attention on the problem, but
need to be linked to the ”big picture” to achieve larger effects. Long-term trials are another way
to influence behaviour, as participants influence their peers and spread good practice. Information
must be spread using all types of means!
Events must be attractive – such as free cycle servicing – and all targeted publicity, such as
invitations, helps. Public information campaigns on their own do not have a strong impact on
behaviour, but can increase awareness of an issue; otherwise, public information campaigns are
best linked to a specific issue, such as upgrading of a bus or tram line. Target groups must be
well-defined. Linkages to public health and exercise help.
Växjö
Population: 55,600.
CO2 inventory for municipal employees’ travel. This is a way to monitor and progressively
reduce the impact of municipal travel. Since 2009, the departments in the Municipality of Växjö
must pay 100 SEK to an internal climate fund for every 1 ton of CO2 they emit. In 2009, this
fund raised 400,000 SEK and all municipal departments and companies can apply to the fund to
support innovative climate projects. Thus, each department has an incentive to reduce their CO2
emissions and continually improve.
Boden
Population: 27442 (6.47 citizens per m2)
Eco-driving has been used by this rural municipality to reduce the environmental impacts and
costs of municipal transport. Eco-driving trainers were trained and routines established. After one
year, the project reported savings of 8% fuel or 7700 litres diesel. Lidköping, another rural
municipality of 28,000 people, has also used eco-driving to reduce environmental impacts from
municipal transport.
Nacka
Population: 90,000
Nacka is an urban municipality and borders Stockholm. The municipality has a travel policy, part
of a broader transport package. The travel policy stipulates that municipal employees shall try to
identify all alternatives (e.g. telephone or video meeting) before travelling; if they travel, they
should use cycles or public transport. A municipal car pool can also be used if no alternative
exists. Essential flights must be climate-compensated. Other measures included parking charges
at city hall, which subsidise public transport tickets to municipal employees.
Åre
Population: 1260 in Åre, 10,156 in municipality
This rural municipality has a similar approach to Växjö; municipal employees booking flights
must pay a surcharge, with a corresponding discount being applied to train journeys. Similar
discounts are offered to employees using car pool vehicles or their own private vehicles for
municipal buildings.
Karlshamn
Population: 31,059
Route optimisation methods have been used to save fuel, reduce costs and environmental impacts
in the municipality’s home services. One third less journey time has increased quality of service,
as more time can be spent on home visits. Sala municipality (pop: 21,571) has used a similar
approach to reduce the number of school journeys by 25-30%. Four rural municipalities
(Borlänge, Gagnef, Säter and Smedjebacken) have coordinated distribution of groceries to
schools and other municipal organisations, with major savings (up to 75%) achieved.
Skaraborg
Skaraborg is a region comprising 15 small municipalities. A Logistic Centre was established with
funds from the EU, municipality and Port of Göteborg, with the aim of enabling integrated and
intermodal transfer of freight from trains to trucks can take place in a ”dry port”.
Linköping
Population: 97,400
All residents in the municipality can hire cars from the municipal car pool. A proportion of the
cars are booked for municipal use during office hours, with all remaining vehicles available for
public use all day, every day. The suppliers of the car pool service pay for cleaning and
maintenance. Customers only pay for the time they use the car. The municipality also held
campaigns and competitions for 18 schools and 2,500 students, challenging them to walk and
cycle to school. The number of children being dropped to school by car was reduced by 40%.
Ale
Population: 27,467
The introduction of a municipal car pool in 2004 has saved this small municipality money and
reduced environmental impacts. The municipality has reduced journeys by 16% (29,000km) since
2004.
Umeå
Population: 112,000
Since 2009, Umeå operates a pool of environmental cars which are available for municipal use
during daytimes, and available for the general public to use at off-peak times, including weekends
and holidays.
Fagersta
Population: 10,890
A cycle pool with helmets, locks and winter tyres is available for use by municipal employees
and the general public. The cycles are used primarily by the council’s home services, for whom
cycles offer various advantages – not least, the option to park near to the entrances of buildings,
making deliveries of heavy items easier.
Lund
Population: 108,947
Lund has worked to promote public transport and reduce the number of journeys by car. Over 750
car users have participated as test travellers and after one year, 43% had continued to travel by
public transport. Lund has also implemented a wide range of other measures aiming to reduce use
of cars, including emphasis on behavioural change and promoted cycling. Cycle infrastructure,
such as cycle lanes and parking, has been improved. Walking and cycling to school is promoted.
Municipal planners are aided by a handbook on car-free design. Around 20% of residents have
changed their behaviour as a consequence of municipal actions.
Luleå
Population: 73,832
Users of the LLT public transport company have, for five consecutive years, been the most
satisfied public transport customers in Sweden. LLT try to adapt their services quickly to meet
customer needs and maintain proactive communications. 98% of customer enquiries are
responded to within two days and launch of new timetables are coordinated by both the traffic
planning department and marketing department.
Karlstad
Population: 84,939
The central hospital in Karlstad had parking problems, with over 3000 employees and visitors.
Instead of building new parking facilities, the hospital worked to reduce journeys by car. During
2003-6, as part of the regional traffic plan, the number of parking permits were reduced, charges
for employee parking were introduced, the total number of parking places reduced and other
forms of mobility promoted. Public transport facilities were improved and customer surveys
carried out. The number of car journeys by employees was reduced by 8% and demand for
parking places was reduced. The total cost of the investments was around 1 million SEK,
compared with a cost of 70 million SEK for a new parking lot.
HM Skåne
This is a regional organisation that works with smaller municipalities on mobility issues. By
pooling their limited resources, these municipalities can then introduce measures such as car
pools and inform each other on good practice and experiences.
Dalakommunerna
This network of municipalities in Dalarna, enabling municipalities with shared interests to work
together on specific topics.
Energikontor Sydost
Energy Offices have been established in Swedish regions and often work closely with smallmedium sized municipalities. In South-east Sweden, the Energy Office has a regional Climate &
Mobility office which supports mobility management through different regional and EU projects.
One low-cost way to influence policy is to get municipalities to sign statements of intent, in
which they commit themselves to introducing sustainable transport.