Sustainable Transport Day

Formentera has once again jumped on board with plans for the Dia de la Mobilitat Sostenible (Sustainable Transport Day), an international initiative held 23 September whose slogans have ranged from “Desplaça't de forma eficient: Millora la teua mobilitat” (Move efficiently: Improve your transport) to “Aire net, fes el pas” (Clean air, take steps).

This is the sixth year that Formentera has joined the organised action to promote sustainable transportation, and this year as part of the event, the Office of Transport wishes to urge all of the island's residents, if only for one day, to make the island car-free.

As in years past, the Council's participation this year has included offering ideas for alternative transportation in order to raise community involvement and make Formentera a more sustainable island.

Accordingly, a 50% discount will be applied to return tickets purchased today on the L1 and L2 bus lines, and now, thanks to the sustainable vehicle rental agencies E-mobile and Cooltra motos, some of Formentera's more adventurous residents have already been able to try for themselves models of cars and scooters that are 100% electric.

Present at last year's event were two rent-a-car agencies that work with electric vehicles, and the sector is progressively planting roots on the island. Considering the healthy spirit of conservation and the natural characteristics ubiquitous across the island, zero emission and sustainable transport are two environmental challenges that Formentera is capable of facing. Appropriately, this year's event once again featured electric bicycles at the disposition of pedestrians on the Plaça de la Constitució throughout the morning.

Formentera's Office of Transport has renewed the initiative to maintain electric vehicle battery-charging spots across the island and is working with local business groups to encourage an expansion of this programme. The goal is to facilitate rental car agencies' incorporation of these vehicles into their fleets, thus fomenting their use among tourists.

A project is also in the works that would be an extension of the green bike path initiative already in place. The new initiative aims to create a map of alternative, comfortable roads for zero-emission vehicles.

The objective is to move toward models of transport that are less polluting and more accessible, both for residents and visitors to the island. Given the geographical characteristics of Formentera and its short distances (which facilitate the use of electric vehicles), this is a transportation solution that is ideal for Formentera.