The government delegate in Cantabria, Pedro Casares, has encouraged the municipalities of the autonomous community to participate in the European Mobility Week 2025.
Casares pointed out that this week, which is celebrated throughout Europe from September 16 to 22, is “a good opportunity to promote and develop initiatives with which to become aware of the importance of moving forward in a more sustainable development of society”.
For the government delegate in Cantabria, “the Government of Spain is making an important effort at both political and budgetary levels to advance in that development of sustainable mobility in our country.”
Thus, Casares has cited, among other measures, the gratuitousness of the Neighbourhoods railway network in Cantabria until the new rolling stock is available, the discounts on public transport in Santander, Torrelavega and Castro Urdiales, which are causing the exponential increase in the use of the urban bus or other measures such as the Young Summer program with discounts for train and bus travel for young people between 18 and 30 years old.
“That impulse of the Government of Pedro Sánchez must also be accompanied by an impulse of other administrations such as the autonomous governments and the municipalities to progressively advance in a more sustainable mobility,” he said.
In this sense, Casares stressed that “mobility is a determining factor to advance in a more sustainable development of Cantabria, which involves an impulse of public transport, bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, and therefore all those initiatives that the municipalities develop are a further step to advance”.
The government delegate has invited the Cantabrian municipalities that develop or plan initiatives in the field of mobility to register to apply for the prizes convened by the European Commission that recognize the effort to raise awareness about sustainable urban mobility.
“A call for the European Mobility Week (SEM), which will celebrate its twenty-fifth edition from 16 to 22 September 2025, which is an opportunity to highlight good municipal practices and initiatives that go in the direction of that important objective for Cantabria,” he said.
Registration open until September 16th
Registration to participate is now open and available at www.mobilityweek.eu, and will be closed with the start of the campaign on the same day, September 16.
European Mobility Week is a campaign aimed at raising awareness, both among policy makers and citizens, of the negative consequences for public health and the environment of excessive car use in the city.
It also seeks to promote the use of more sustainable modes of transport, in particular, public transport, cycling and walking.
This year, the theme chosen is ‘Mobility for all people’. Through this theme, the European Commission intends to focus on the importance of making transport available, accessible, affordable, safe and sustainable for all citizens, regardless of income, location, gender or abilities.
The first category of these awards, called the European Mobility Week Award, recognises the efforts of local authorities to raise awareness and sensitivity about the need for sustainable urban mobility.
In order to be eligible for this prize, municipalities are required to actively participate in Europe Mobility Week by organising activities between 16 and 22 September, implementing one or more permanent transport measures and organising the Car-Free Day on 22 September.
High Spanish participation
Since its beginnings in 2000, it has always highlighted the participation of Spanish municipalities in the European Mobility Week.
Spain was in 2024 in the first place of the ranking of countries by number of participating municipalities. The number of inhabitants in Spain who have been involved in this campaign has been more than 20 million people.