PARIS: The cities of Helsinki in Finland, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, are inviting motorists to participate this fall in a program aimed at relieving congestion in city centres in favour of more environmentally and socially responsible routes.
For two months, in October and November 2021, motorists with an Android smartphone can take advantage of a program called Code The Street, which aims to offer them alternative routes that are more environmentally friendly, but also more community-minded.
This includes avoiding areas of the city where pollution is high, as well as residential areas and roads leading to schools.
During this test phase, drivers who use the TomTom AmiGO application or the Mercedes-Benz navigation service will be given a recommendation for the fastest "social" route, with explanations provided each time.
In addition to simplifying life for drivers and making certain areas a little quieter, the idea behind the trial is also to relieve congestion in the two cities' centres.
The municipality of Helsinki is studying the possibility of introducing a congestion charge for driving in the city centre.
This type of study could therefore demonstrate whether motorists are prepared (or not) to take routes in which they avoid certain areas.
The data collected on these trips will be used to evaluate how effective the tack of encouraging users to choose an alternative route is.
Volunteers can register directly on the Code The Streets website. This initiative is supported by the European Union.
