European Mobility Week begins with a car-free day in Brussels – urban dwellers are encouraged to use bikes, public transport and their feet to ease congestion and prevent pollution.

Drive less, walk and cycle more

Normally, it's Europe’s  fourth most congested city.

Fewer people using cars  on working days would help.

Every street must occasionally be redone  and there are budgets for it.

It doesn’t cost more  whether you create plenty of room

for pedestrians,  cyclists and public transport

or whether you create  plenty of room for cars.

We need to find ways to reduce  the volume of traffic in cities like Brussels.

For this there is on the one hand  public transport,

and on the other, systems which force  motorists to change their mode of transport,

for example road tolls  or other tax systems.

The car-free day marks the start of  European Mobility Week,

devoted to encouraging us  to walk and cycle more.

Politicians know it will require  tough decisions, though.

We must at all costs tend to air quality,  the quality of life of all those living in town.

The EU could do a lot more on air quality

to impose more ambitious programmes  on cities to reduce congestion

MEPs are being shown a movie about  cycle couriers as part of Mobility Week.

In congested cities  they’re the fastest delivery service,

even if EU institutions seem unconvinced.

In the private sector  we are very successful.

In the public sector  we’re almost zero.

But the public, it seems, are taking to  two wheels in increasing numbers.

It’s very convenient  because they’re everywhere.

I feel it’s encouraging many people  to buy their own bicycle.

Congestion is driving more of us  onto public transport.

The number of journeys in Brussels  doubled over the last decade.

Coping with growing demand  won’t be cheap.

By 2016 we expect 400 million trips,  an increase to 400 million trips,

so we need to invest about 1.2 billion euros,  even 1.8 billion euros into public transport.

Some 80% of us will live  in urban environments by 2020.

European Mobility Week reminds us  why freedom of movement is so important.