WRITTEN QUESTION E-2550/02 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Public transport in urban areas 2: introduction of standard information about routes and fares and introduction of daily passes with the same recognisable names throughout Europe.
Date: 2002-09-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European standard, consumer information, means of public conveyance, public transport, tourism policy, transport user, urban transport

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/69

Does the Commission agree that it would be worthwhile to improve the accessibility of urban public
2.
transport for tourists and other visitors from outside at European level by actively encouraging urban
authorities and public transport companies to seek to ensure that:

(cid:1) signs are installed at central locations showing the route network, the boundaries of the urban area or
of any fare zones within it and information about types of ticket and where they can be obtained,

(cid:1) leaflets are made available at central

locations such as railway stations, the main square, tourist
information offices, department stores, bookshops,
tourist shops or hotels and youth hostels,
containing information about the route network, zone boundaries, types of ticket, period of validity,
authorisation to transfer between routes, fare reductions for children, older people and groups and the
fares to be paid for the various types of ticket,

(cid:1) at the minimum, daily passes valid for the whole urban network, and possibly passes valid for several

days, are made available at an acceptable price,

(cid:1) ticket dispensers are installed to supply daily passes, multi-ride tickets and single-ride tickets, or it is

made possible in other ways to obtain such tickets quickly, easily and at all times?

(2003/C 110 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2550/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 September 2002)

Subject: Public transport in urban areas 2: introduction of standard information about routes and fares and

introduction of daily passes with the same recognisable names throughout Europe

Is the Commission aware that some towns which for a number of years, for example after the
1.
introduction of a new network of routes, the purchase of new vehicles or the opening of new tram-lines,
ensured that the transport system was accessible, have since neglected this concern, with the result that
they have relapsed into being difficult of access for outsiders?

2. Will the Commission, inter alia as part of its policy on tourism, take measures to arrange a European
scheme under which municipal authorities and local transport companies in as many towns as possible
with populations over 100 000 permanently offer a uniform standard package which at the minimum
meets the quality requirements referred to in the previous set of questions?

3. Will the Commission support this standard package by promoting the introduction of a single
recognisable European name for the daily pass and likewise for the information leaflet containing the
network of routes, so that they are easy to obtain everywhere?

Can this standard package be promoted by publicly identifying the towns which comply with such a
4.
European quality standard, thereby encouraging any towns which are not yet participating in the scheme
to do so and preventing some towns from again in due course relapsing into being difficult of access for
outsiders?

5. Will the Commission take measures, wherever possible, to encourage the extension of this standard
package and these European names to European states which have entered into long-term cooperation
with the EU,
including those states which are expected to become EU Member States within the
foreseeable future?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2549/02 and E-2550/02
given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2002)

The Commission is aware of these problems, and agrees that it is worthwhile to address them. Effective
solutions benefit tourists and other visitors, resident citizens, and the environment.

The Commission already actively encourages authorities and operators to tackle these problems. It has
launched research projects
to identify solutions; cooperated with the European Committee for
Standardization to develop quality standards for public transport, drawing on this research; sponsored
Information Service, a computerised database of good practice (1);
the European Local Transport
encouraged networking between city authorities at European level to address transport problems; and

C 110 E/70

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

organised the Citizens’ Network Benchmarking Initiative, under which authorities and operators studied
good examples of integration in cities like Madrid and Prague. It has supported the development of new
services that using mobile telephones and the internet to provide travel information on the move, tailored
to individuals’ needs and updated in real time.

The Commission will continue to develop these practical tools, and shares the view that in some cases, a
higher level of encouragement or obligation is needed. This is mainly a matter for Member States. The
Community has a role to play in addressing such quality problems where poor standards in one Member
State impede people from another; or where it is important to reinforce public service objectives alongside
market opening in ‘network industries’ like electricity, gas, telecommunications, postal services and public
transport.

Accordingly, in its proposal for a Regulation on public services in public transport (2), the Commission has
proposed quality factors that all authorities will be required to take into account (cid:1) including ticketing and
information (cid:1) as well as minimum requirements for the information that all operators must make
available.

Later this year, the Commission plans to propose a Regulation on customer rights in passenger rail. This
will address the question of how long distance rail travellers get information and tickets for public
transport in their cities of destination.

The Commission is launching a study of integration in public transport, to report before the end of 2003.
It will cover ticketing and information.

It will examine whether there is a need for Community action to secure adequate standards.

These measures support the Community’s objective of promoting sustainable tourism and offering tourists
alternatives to the use of the car, by encouraging transport companies, tour operators, tourist attractions,
tourism businesses and tourist information services to work together to manage the quality of tourist
destinations.

The Commission believes that the idea of a standard public transport ticketing and information package
has merit. It wishes to examine it further (cid:1) recognising that an international standard would need to leave
room for authorities to take account of local conditions and regional or national standards. It will ensure
that this happens as part of the study of integration in public transport.

(1) www.eltis.org.
(2) OJ C 151 E, 25.6.2002.

(2003/C 110 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2578/02

by Kathalijne Buitenweg (Verts/ALE)
and Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 September 2002)

Subject: Racism and xenophobia: sale in petrol stations and tourist shops in Italy of bottles of wine with

labels bearing photos of Hitler and Mussolini and Nazi slogans

We fairly regularly receive reports from citizens shocked about bottles of wine being sold in shops in Italy.
The bottles concerned carry labels with pictures of Hitler and Mussolini and slogans such as ‘Ein Volk, ein
Reich, ein Führer!’, ‘Blut und Ehre’ and ‘Führerwein’.

They are not being sold on the black market, but in tourist shops and petrol station shops. The most
recent report we received was of bottles of wine being sold at Agip and Q8 petrol stations in the Trento
area.