With the aim of boosting decarbonization, transition to electric vehicles and use of sustainable and efficient transport for the population, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) announced the final allocation of €500 million from the European Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Funds (PRTR) NextGenerationEU to a total of 112 municipalities across the country.
Among the measures to be financed are the acquisition of electric city buses, the deployment of bicycle lanes, the pedestrianization of streets, digitalization of mobility services or the implementation of low-emission zones, among other projects that prioritize the use of clean energy and the reduction of polluting emissions.
The selection was carried out through a competitive call in which a total of 679 actions proposed by 188 potential beneficiaries were received, including municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, provincial capitals and towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants, which have an internal urban public transport service and a Sustainable Mobility Plan.
Read also: Spain and Portugal Count on 75 Porsche Iberica Charging Stations
Aspects to Consider
The criteria for the selection of the projects were the maturity, impact, quality and relevance of the proposals presented, resulting in the selection of the 112 municipalities that obtained the highest score.
Through a press release, the transportation portfolio highlighted that these initiatives are aligned with the purpose of improving air quality in cities and contributing to the decarbonization of mobility, promoting reliable, affordable and emission-free public transportation, as well as encouraging active mobility through the use of bicycles and walking to reduce the role of private motor vehicles.
On this occasion, municipalities belonging to Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia stood out as the main beneficiaries of the subsidies, receiving a combined 265.5 million euros, representing 53.1% of the total allocated.
“These localities bring together a population of almost 10.8 million people out of the 18 million that add up to all the beneficiary municipalities in this second call,” said Mitma.
With this resolution, the 500 million euros are added to the 1,000 million previously granted in the first call for aid, reaching a total of 1,500 million euros destined to finance 1,064 actions for the decarbonization and digitalization of urban mobility.
