Ms. Gloria Hutt, Minister of Transport of Chile and Mr. Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mr. Patrick Klugman, Deputy Mayor of Paris, Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy represented Latin America, Europe, and Africa, respectively to discuss the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on mobility and how this emergency is being used as an opportunity to give a new shape to safe mobility. Mr. Felipe Massa, Formula E and former Formula 1 racing driver joined the conversation as a road safety Ambassador and shared his views on the topic as well as its impact on him as an athlete. The full recording of the event can be found here.
More than 900 attended the enriching discussion online. While the Special Envoy highlighted the trends in mobility and road safety indicators during the crisis, government officials shared about their in-country transport related COVID-19 responses and their plans for post-lockdown. They shared how the pandemic has accelerated greater investment in more sustainable forms of mobility, especially as physical distancing is recommended for the foreseeable future. Initiatives towards active mobility, safely maintaining the use of public transportation and harnessing new technologies are among the approaches.
The Special Envoy’s summary of the issue – “COVID-19: Reshaping Mobility” – is available on the IDB blog page in English and Spanish.