OEaB representative on a study trip to the Netherlands: How to measure the impact of transport on air quality in practice?

Creating transport emission projections requires not only mathematical models but also an understanding of the real-world feasibility of measures over time. An international study trip to the Dutch cities of Utrecht and Amersfoort, attended by a transport expert from our department, demonstrated how sustainable mobility and low-emission zones work in practice. The know-how acquired will serve as valuable input for the modelling and expert estimations of environmental policies in Slovakia.

OEaB representative on a study trip to the Netherlands: How to measure the impact of transport on air quality in practice?

At the end of June, Ján Horváth took part in an international study trip to Utrecht and Amersfoort in the Netherlands. Alongside other representatives of Slovak state administration, local governments, and non-profit organisations, he observed firsthand how local municipalities approach low-emission zones and sustainable mobility.

The trip was part of the Central European Active Mobility Lab (CEAML) project, organised by Cyklokoalícia and the Czech organisation AutoMat. Over several days, the Slovak delegation met with Dutch experts and inspected concrete solutions on the ground – ranging from transport hubs connecting rail and bicycle transport to urban logistics systems in historic centres.

For us, the topic of low-emission zones was the most interesting. Although the objective of the trip was not the direct validation or monitoring of measured emission data, this study trip was immensely beneficial, particularly in terms of understanding how emission reduction policies and measures can be successfully put into practice. When preparing emission projections for road transport, it is crucial to understand the real-world feasibility of these steps and, most importantly, the timeframe in which their effects manifest. The acquired Dutch know-how thus provides an excellent foundation for more accurate expert estimations of transport emission trends in scenarios where hard local data for Slovak conditions is unavailable.

The programme also included an inspection of the F28 regional cycle "highway" linking the two visited cities, as well as a series of lectures on spatial planning, which focused on transforming streets originally oriented towards cars into public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.

In addition to our department, the study trip included representatives from the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic, the Bratislava-Staré Mesto (Old Town) local government, the municipality of Malacky, and Cyklokoalícia. According to the organisers, the insights gained should gradually help in planning similar measures in Slovakia.