The European Union has allocated 300,000 euros for the training of Belarusian officials to create a plan for sustainable mobility in Polotsk. It's been a few activities financed by these funds with the participation of European experts: Workshop for city services, a round table with the participation of Polotsk, the meeting of the working group for the project.

Funding is for three years: it is assumed that in 2017 will create an intelligent plan for sustainable urban mobility for Polotsk. During this time, will be studied transport and passenger flows in Polotsk, to take them into account when planning the bus routes, public transport, private car parking residents. Particular attention is given to the creation of bicycle paths offered to impel people to change on bicycles instead of private cars. As the manager of the Local Fund "Interaction" Anton Rodnenkov, short-term plans of the project to create the first in Polotsk bikeways.

Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee Sergey Leichenko Polotsk at the roundtable said that currently for 1000 Polotsk residents there are 320 private cars, while in Europe the average there are 370 cars per 1000 people. Polotsk residents until showed great interest to these plans of the city authorities. At the round table there were only a dozen citizens who expressed their views on the issue of mobility.

Residents expressed the view that the creation of bicycle lanes is not enough - the biggest problem is bike storage for residents of multi-storey town houses. Necessary to build a covered bicycle parking for year-round bike storage in the courtyards of houses, because you will not become a bike store in an apartment on the 5th floor.

Training program includes visits to the EU officials cities in Europe that have already carried out projects for sustainable mobility in his cities.

Public Polotsk uniquely receptive to the request of the Europeans to cooperate with the authorities of Polotsk. “Officials from the government was pleased to take care of Western Europe - said Polotsk activist, chairman of the primary organization of the Free Trade Union of Belarus JSC "Polotsk-Fiberglass" Victor Stukau. - In this case, the same officials speak negatively about such assistance to civil society organizations in Europe. For example, activists of the democratic trade unions Polotsk constantly hear rebukes from superiors: "...The West pays you".”

Alexander Morozov, dyjalog.info