The Social and Economic Council issued an advisory report on mobility management in December 2006. The report is the Council’s response to a request for advice by the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. The Council defines mobility management as the entire complex of activities undertaken by government, employers’ associations and trade unions aimed — where possible and desirable — at encouraging employees in their choices when it comes to travel, the timing of their trips, and the mode of transport used. The Council’s advice is concerned mainly with commuting patterns. In his request for advice, the Minister describes mobility management as a potentially effective instrument for improving the accessibility of regions and locations. The Council takes a much wider view and believes mobility management is also important for the environment and for quality of life. Mobility management can also be beneficial for employees: it can cut down on their commuting time, giving them more time for childcare duties, for example. The Council believes that policy measures targeting mobility management should be pursued mainly at regional and local level, in particular in urban areas. It is here that results-oriented agreements should be made, backed by all the various parties involved in consultations on mobility management. During the Council’s discussion of the advisory report, the representative of the employers’ associations announced that they and their regional affiliates would be taking steps to breathe new life into the regional approach, with the most traffic-congested areas as their top priority (Author/publisher)
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