Colombia is leading the way in reducing GHG emissions and advancing digital technologies across sectors. The ACCESS project tackles two main challenges: establishing a regulatory framework for transport digitalization and developing programs to drive this transformation.
These efforts aim to break private sector barriers and demonstrate the benefits of digitalization in energy, economics, environment, and accessibility, especially for vulnerable groups. Despite current limitations in digital adoption and data utilization, the potential is immense. Key institutions like the Ministry of Transportation and Information Technology are crucial in this initiative. With a commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 51% by 2030, Colombia's push for electromobility and modernized freight transport is set to be revolutionized by digital technologies. The project will monitor policies through digitalization and data analytics, guided by the National Development Plan. It aims to integrate intelligent infrastructure, digital citizen services, and electric mobility, while also promoting gender equity and accessibility for people with disabilities. By focusing on both national and local levels, the ACCESS project promises a transformative impact on Colombia's transport sector, inspiring optimism and excitement for a sustainable future.
Bogota
In Bogotá, the data agency Agata and the Secretary of Mobility's digital services divisions are streamlining and enhancing existing digital mobility projects while integrating new initiatives to create a seamless urban transport experience. Bogota has a complete and well-designed list of regulations and programs to tackle climate change, air quality and mobility issues. Therefore, through the ACCESS project we will analyse how the digitalization of transport can be included in the current regulations and programs. The city has developed projects to improve mobility services, and these projects have a strong digitalization component. However, these projects do not ensure public sector capacities for the collection and analysis of mobility data. Therefore, one of the objectives of the pilot is to create these capacities in the government of Bogota. Based on the mobility data, the pilot will analyze the relationship between driving-traffic-emissions and will propose ASI actions to reduce GHG emissions, for example, a sustainable driving program.
Medellin
Meanwhile, Medellin's development plan and mobility policies explicitly focus on low-carbon mobility and digitalization. The city's cross-cutting agency on data management is leading the way, ensuring that digital innovation drives sustainable and efficient urban mobility. The proposed pilot will seek to enhance ongoing efforts by improving the monitoring and data analytics capabilities, and make energy consumption and environmental impact estimations, of the public transport system, which also includes the public bicycle sharing system. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the digitalization of the public transport system, the project will support the development of a regulatory framework to guarantee the access and use of mobility and transport data by different users. An inter-sectoral commitment to improve the digitalization of transport, as well as a mobile application for the public bicycle system are also key elements.
ACCESS Activities
- Pilots and implementation
- Bogota: Use of digital tools to characterize emissions, under different avoid, shift, and improve mobility strategies, in the city of Bogotá
- Medellin: Improve the monitoring and data analytics capacities of the city public transport system
- Subnational policy and plans
- Bogota: Support from the DoT the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Comprehensive Management of Air Quality, the Intelligent Transportation Initiative of the City Mobility Plan, and other ongoing projects
- Medellin: Develop a regulatory framework and a plan for access and use of public transport and mobility data. Manage an intersectoral commitment for the digitization of transport. App for cycling
- National support framework
- “Digitalization Readiness Assessment (DRA)” in other cities.
- National transport digitalization strategy.
- Public-private financing mechanism that promotes the digital transformation of the transport sector.
- Intersectoral working group to promote the digitization of transport
Partners (TBC)
The International Relations Office at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) is Colombia's key partner in driving the ACCESS project. MADS will facilitate impactful collaborations to propel sustainable urban mobility forward by coordinating with public and private stakeholders at national and city levels.
