Mobility: A New Perspective on Transport Policy and Regulation

An expert and thought leader on transport policy and regulation and the transformation of network industries such as telecommunications, energy and transport, Prof Matthias Finger (Director of the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation at the European University Institute and Swiss Post Chair in Management of Network Industries at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) spoke to Steve Coomber about the future of transport in the European Union, the move to mobility as a defining concept, and the regulatory challenges involved.

These are all issues covered by Prof Finger and his team at FSR Transport in their contribution to the European Parliament’s publication “The World is Changing: Transport, Too” (click here to download the full report).

Steve Coomber (SC): Moving forward, what are the challenges facing the Commission regarding EU transport policy?

Matthias Finger (MF): People want to move from one place to another, but they do not necessarily care whether it is by car, rail or another mode of transport. They want mobility. The Commission needs to go beyond the modal approach to transport and instead think in terms of mobility networks and intermodal mobility. It is no longer simply a matter of the Commission following up on each of its sectoral polices separately, whether it is air, maritime, rail or road. That, in itself, is a challenge. 

SC: What factors are driving this this network perspective of mobility?

MF: There are several drivers. One is urbanization. For too many people, transport is becoming a drag. There is too much congestion. It’s a common experience. Another fundamental change is the communication technology piece, the prevalence of apps, the so-called “uberization” of the world: accessible, ubiquitous mobility. Uber is just the beginning, a first step.

Click here to continue and read the full interview. 

© 2015 EPFL all rights reserved.