For the Territorial Cooperation Project with the Code Name “EV-KINISI”

According to the European Policy on Mobility and Transport, which forms part of the broader Europe 2020 Strategy, all urban and suburban areas are called upon to adopt quantitative and qualitative targets aimed at strengthening sustainable mobility and promoting the use of Public Transport. These targets serve the objective of “mass transportation” while simultaneously ensuring high-quality mobility with the lowest possible emissions.

The Municipalities of Rhodes, Syros–Hermoupolis and Thira, in collaboration with the Limassol Tourism Development Company and the Frederick Research Center, formed a cooperative partnership and jointly submitted, in 2016, a proposal under the Interreg VA “Greece–Cyprus 2014–2020” Territorial Cooperation Programme. The purpose was to secure funding for an ambitious and socially valuable framework of actions aimed at enhancing the quality characteristics of their public urban transport systems.

The proposal, which was highly competitive, was selected among many others, and on 20 November 2017 a Funding Agreement was signed between the Municipality of Rhodes, as the lead partner, and the Managing Authority of the Operational Programme “European Territorial Cooperation.” This agreement officially gave the green light for the implementation of the project titled EV-KINISI, with a total budget of €1,306,290.

The EV-KINISI project was designed by the partners with the main objective of promoting smart, sustainable, and alternative mobility in the cross-border region. Through this project, the participating agencies are called upon to develop a model organizational and operational framework for strengthening and environmentally upgrading Urban Public Transport. This framework includes, among other elements:

The integration of a comprehensive telematics system for urban transport, including dynamic passenger information using advanced technological tools

The replacement or supplementation of Public Transport vehicles with low-emission or zero-emission vehicles

The development of principles governing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), enabling the project to act as a multiplier for other municipalities and public authorities

Joint awareness-raising actions targeting citizens and visitors, including incentives and organized events promoting the use of Public Transport and telematics applications

Joint publicity and dissemination activities to promote the project results and knowledge tools

The impact of the project is expected to contribute significantly to increasing Public Transport usage among both residents and visitors by improving system attractiveness. Furthermore, the project is anticipated to enhance the quality of life and the urban environment in the participating areas, both in the medium and long term, as it aligns with the guidelines of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, which before this project were still an undefined concept in many regions.

Today, the project is active in all implementation areas, and all individual actions are in progress.

The project receives strong support from the leadership of the participating organizations. During the first partner meeting (Rhodes, February 2018) and the second meeting (Hermoupolis, Syros, July 2018), the Mayors of Rhodes, Mr. F. Chatzidiakos, and Syros–Hermoupolis, Mr. G. Marangos—who hosted the initial transnational meetings—emphasized their institutional support for facilitating the processes required for the smooth and timely implementation of the project actions.

The next Partner Meeting is scheduled for the first ten days of November 2018 in the Municipality of Thira, where the progress of the project’s physical and financial implementation will be reviewed.

The entire project is under the supervision of the Joint Technical Secretariat of the Greece–Cyprus 2014–2020 Territorial Cooperation Programme and is co-funded 85% by European resources.