While the pandemic put a dent in the emissions released by the transport sector in 2020 due to the lockdowns that happened around the world, transport has started to grow demand again in 2021 and it might grow even more in the next years.

In fact, in 2020, transport related emissions dropped by 10%, down to 7.2 giga tons of CO2 emissions from almost 8.5 the year before.

In order to reach net zero emissions by the half of this century, emissions coming from the transport sector must fall by 20% by the time 2030 comes, which can be done in several ways, but first of all, we must understand how it came to the car being used as much as it is today, especially in the cities.

The car, from invention to commodity

Ever since it was invented about 150 years ago, the car was bound to become one of the greatest inventions in the world, enabling people to reach destinations faster, more reliable and more comfortable than ever before, replacing horses and other obsolete transportation methods.

Over the years, however, people, especially in city areas, have started relying a little too much on their personal vehicles for transportation, which led officials from multiple cities worried with regards to air pollution concerns.

Besides the negative effects that CO2 emissions have on the health of the population, there are worries about how it also affects global warming on a large scale and how its effects can only be mitigated by adopting cleaner personal vehicles, such as hybrids or EVs, but also by moving towards alternative transportation methods.

Walking can bring multiple benefits

In the city, a very effective short-distance transportation method is walking, and unfortunately, there are those who jump in their car for a very short trip, either out of habit, or commodity.

Walking has multiple benefits, mostly for the health, some of which are a lower blood pressure, maintaining good cholesterol levels and it can also put you in a good mood.

It can also save you the hassle to find a parking spot, which can definitely be an issue in a busy city.

Switch the car for the bike or the scooter

Walking is indeed the cheapest and most worry-free transportation method, but there are times where you can't rely on your feet alone to go places.

But no worries, you can still get a few wheels to help you out, two specifically. The bike and scooters have become very popular transportation methods in cities, and they are available even on ride sharing platforms as well.

For example, Bolt officials say that, in March 2022, the company registered a 500% increase in demand of electric scooters in Romania compared to the same period last year. Because of this, the company will allocate 150 million euros for the development of the electric bike and scooter segment.

They are fast, cheap, you can even take them in your house and you don't need to fill them at a gas station, making them a sustainable way to travel around your city.

While you won't be carrying as much on your scooter or bike as you would in your car, you might not need to do that very often anyways, and a bike or a scooter is very good for going to the cafe, to your office or to visit your relatives.

Bikes can be used even for longer distances as well, and generally speaking, the bike is one of the most versatile and efficient alternative transportation methods ever created by humans, some believing that bikes are up to 50 times more efficient than cars.

There are a ton of bikes and scooters you can choose from, making it nearly impossible for you not to find a proper vehicle for your needs and your budget.

If you're interested in a premium electric bike that will offer you a taste of the Harley-Davidson brand, make sure to check our review for the Serial 1 e-bikes, powered by Harley-Davidson.

The bus, a good alternative transport method in the city

Walking, biking or going by scooter can expose you to the dangers of the traffic or the elements during rain or snowfall, which is why you might find it more convenient to take the bus, especially if you maybe don't feel like putting the effort.

While we are still not quite at the level where most major cities benefit from exclusively using electric or hydrogen-powered buses, a regular bus does release less emissions per passenger and it can help reduce traffic jams by quite a bit.

Just imagine 50 people in a bus, each using their own car, compared to them being fitted in a single bus, which of the two is more efficient and less polluting?

In some cities, buses have their own lanes, which can help them go faster and not have to wait in traffic like the rest of the cars, and sometimes they can even use the tram lines for the same purpose.

Rail transport, one of the ideal alternatives in the city

Subways or metros are another alternative transportation method that is also, mostly emission-free, which makes it sustainable as well, since the trains run by electricity.

Some cities even have trams, which are surface rail transport systems that have more stops compared to metros and they can't accommodate as many people, but work somewhat similar.

They are also emission-free and usually don't have to put up with traffic for the most part, since they have their own line, which can occasionally be shared with the buses, but that's about it.

Rail systems are more expensive and complicated to implement, especially if we're talking about a metro system, but they can carry way more people compared to even a bus, it is less noisy and it is emission-free, which makes it a great investment for big cities where a large number of people commute on a daily basis.

Take the train for the long haul

Especially popular in Europe, the train is a great way to move from city to city, region to region and even from country to country, if you want too.

Trains are a great alternative transport method compared to personal cars and even buses, since they have some of the lowest emissions-per-passenger, while carrying a lot of passengers.

Intercity trains tend to stop in more stations, due to their nature, but national level trains tend to stop only in major points of interest, which makes them occasionally faster and more efficient compared to cars.

You can't reach every single inch of the country by train, but chances are you don't need to, especially if you only want to visit the most popular attractions.

Carpooling, a great alternative transport method among communities

Another efficient way of traveling is also by finding others that have the same general route as you, since you can just bind together on a single car and split the cost of the fuel, while reducing the number of cars present on the road and even socializing, while on the go.

The disadvantage here is the fact that you need to find people who are roughly on the same schedule as you are and that work in an area nearby or who can, at least, drop you off near your working place.

Car sharing, a very popular alternative urban method of transport

Car sharing has become one of the most used alternative transport methods in recent years, with people either requesting a ride from an application, similar to Uber or Bolt.

Alternatively, you can rent a car through apps like Spark or CityLink, which can be a great way of commuting around your city, especially if you need to carry some stuff around.

Ever since 2016, Spark was able to help reduce the carbon footprint by 7.3 million kilograms of emissions in the three countries in which it operates.

In Romania, this impact translated to the reduction of over 1.100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which could have been offset by 235.602 trees.

Usually, car renting platforms are efficient as well, since their fleet of vehicles are mostly made up of hybrids or EVs, which is great for the environment, as well.

The only thing you need to be worried about is finding a parking spot for the car at the end of the ride in a public or special parking place.

Alternative fuel vehicles. Hybrids. EVs

Of course, it is important to mention the fact that, in order to decarbonize transport as a whole, we need to adopt more environmentally-friendly vehicles, such as hybrids or EVs.

If you can't let go of your traditional car, for whatever reason, try to at least use less polluting alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, ethanol or biodiesel, in order to minimize the amounts of emissions that come out of your car.

Hydrogen-based vehicles, while few and far between, like the Toyota Mirai, can prove to be great alternatives as well, since they don't release polluting emissions.

Hybrid cars are currently "the bridge" between the traditional vehicles and the future for transport, which is represented by EVs, and they are great for city commutes, since they can run for a good amount of time on the battery, rather than on the combustion engine, especially in traffic jams.

EVs are the ideal, long-term solution that we'll need to adopt if we want to reach our net zero goals, and while we're not ready to fully embrace them, we might need to do so by 2035 in Europe, following the latest proposals from the Commission.