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Sustainability in transportation has gone from being a trend to a need, both for people and for the environment as a whole. We are currently at a time of paradigm shift in cities and long-distance travel, from the centrality of the private automobile to the centrality of people in public space.
Transport accounts for a large percentage of polluting emissions into the atmosphere. Approximately 37% of global CO2 emissions related to energy come from this industry, so it is essential to achieve changes to reduce these emissions.
Making the transition to a sustainable transportation model requires multiple aspects to be considered simultaneously, in order to be more efficient and responsible, while simultaneously, allowing each person to retain their individual freedom to travel as much as they need to.
Despite the great challenge of changing the transportation model as we know it, there are three key factors that can be addressed to achieve sustainability in transportation.
Using more energy-efficient vehicles
New technologies are allies of sustainable development. This is demonstrated by the new models of automobiles, buses, cargo transportation, and others. The benefits of making a change like this are not limited to the environment but go far beyond this aspect.
To achieve true sustainability in transportation, it is essential that we can move away from the combustion-powered car model. One of the best alternatives we have today is to use hybrid or electric cars.
One reason for making this transition is energy efficiency, which is 38% for combustion engines and 90% for electric cars. This means that it is possible to improve the ratio between the amount of energy consumed and the distance that can be traveled while using it, without affecting the quality of the trip for users.
In this sense, the implementation of this change also means economic savings. The fuel charge for vehicles that do not use electric power accounts for 42% of the total expenditure that must be made to move around in a personal vehicle. Today, this number can be significantly reduced.
In addition to being better for the environment and for people’s economy, electric or hybrid cars often have built-in cutting-edge technology, which is often useful for different purposes, including achieving sustainability in transportation.
As they have neither a conventional engine nor a clutch gearbox, electric vehicles suffer almost no damage or breakage since they have fewer moving parts exposed to wear and tear. At the same time, they require much less maintenance than a conventional car.
On the other hand, the use of these cars is more comfortable, since they make less noise than a combustion engine. As you can see, the efficiency of this type of vehicle is evident in multiple aspects when compared to traditional vehicles.
At Aleatica, we implement Accident Reduction Programs that treat the accident rate as an integrated element made up of three factors identified as the main precursors of an accident: the infrastructure factor, the user factor, and the vehicle factor.
As for the vehicle factor, since many users drive typical combustion cars, we promote a culture of vehicle revision and maintenance through vehicle revision campaigns.
Let us now move on to analyze other key factors to achieve sustainability in transportation, this time more dependent on private companies or the government.
Improving urban and interurban planning
When looking at sustainability in transportation, we cannot avoid mentioning the role of planning for people’s mobility. A large number of the world’s cities and roads are not optimized to shorten journeys or to provide people with environmentally friendly transport options.
When an urban or interurban area has an optimization plan, it generally increases people’s comfort and standard of living. Such actions can reduce valuable hours of waiting and congestion for thousands of commuters.
But urban planning not only involves the construction of new roads and paths for cars, it also includes the necessary arrangements for people to be able to travel by bicycle, on foot, or by public transport. These alternatives have great advantages for the environment and the quality of life of the population.
In addition to contributing to greater sustainability in transportation, the provision of ample and efficient public transportation, as well as the construction of sidewalks and bicycle lanes, translates into fewer private cars on the streets. This generates greater agility, more disposable time for people, and less general chaos in cities and interurban routes.
Urban planning also means diversifying the areas designated to meet people’s needs. This means that people no longer need to move from their neighborhoods to perform certain activities, which decompresses the more central areas of cities.
As seen, many measures can be taken to strengthen sustainability in transportation. Still, some others remain to be seen that are very important as well.
Investing in infrastructure to achieve sustainability in transportation
A final key aspect of achieving true sustainability in transportation is the investment in infrastructure. Without an adequate and well-maintained infrastructure, vehicles cannot circulate in optimal conditions to save time, and energy and make the shift to more environmentally friendly forms of mobility.
Keeping asphalt in excellent condition is essentially both to speed up travel times and to avoid accidents and improve the comfort of those who travel. Latest-generation asphalt has greater water absorption capacity, and greater resistance to skidding, weather, and high traffic volumes.
At the same time, to facilitate the transition to electric-powered cars and other means of transportation, investment in the corresponding infrastructure is necessary. There must be sufficient charging stations for those who travel with these less polluting engines.
Aleatica has demonstrated a strong commitment to maintaining and upgrading the transportation infrastructure it offers in its various concessions. A clear example of this commitment is the Arena of the Future, a cutting-edge project that applies inductive charging technology so that electric cars can be charged while on the move.
At the same time, our company places a strong emphasis on maintaining optimal safety conditions in all the countries where we operate, which leads us to permanently ensure the highest quality standards in our infrastructure and equipment.
Highlighting the need to attend to the key factors for achieving sustainability in transportation is of the utmost importance. Only in this way can we establish clear goals so that the progress of our efforts will be on the road to the future. Because, from our point of view, if it is sustainable, it is development.
