Surging fuel prices are prompting more Vienna residents to leave their cars at home and take the train instead, a shift they say supports the broader goal of encouraging people back onto public transport by driving less.
Across Europe, soaring fuel costs are reshaping travel habits and pushing governments to find ways to keep mobility affordable, from cutting public transport fares to lowering fuel taxes.
Lithuania has temporarily cut train fares in half, Germany has scrapped planned ticket price increases, and Austria is offering a risk-free, two-month trial of its nationwide annual transport pass.
"We want to give people an opportunity to try out the public transport system in Austria and experience the benefits firsthand," said Sarah Batke with One Mobility Group, a global automotive engineering and manufacturing company.
Experts warn that cheaper fuel or temporary fare cuts may only provide short-term relief. Building stronger public transport networks, they say, is a more sustainable solution, though in many rural areas cars remain the only practical option.
"People are still in very, very many cases dependent on their cars and need to be able to afford using their cars. But what this crisis shows us: it's not the first one, it will not be the last one. We really need to find ways in between crises to build up our structural way to get people out of usual oil-dependent transport," said Klara Schenk, policy officer of VCÖ, a public-benefit organization specializing in mobility and transport.
Expanding rail lines and upgrading transport systems often costs far more than temporary fuel tax cuts. Consumers are hoping governments can find lasting solutions to keep mobility both accessible and affordable.
Vienna residents turn to public transport as fuel prices soar
The China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone is accelerating the implementation of reform measures including customs clearance facilitation at ports, in efforts to boost quality growth of the local region's open economy.
China expanded its pilot free trade zones (FTZs) to 23 in April with the establishment of the one in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The State Council's plan on the new pilot FTZ specifies 19 reform and innovation measures, including developing border trade in an innovative way, strengthening international logistics services, improving the efficiency of technology transfer and application, and expanding external exchanges across multiple fields.
The China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot FTZ covers 119.74 square kilometers and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, Manzhouli, a northern border city, and Erenhot, an inland port on the China-Mongolia border, each tasked with differentiated functions and the development of industries tailored to local conditions.
At the intelligent freight checkpoint of the Manzhouli inland port, drivers can complete customs clearance within just a few seconds by showing a QR code to the scanning machine.
The QR code is generated by a smartphone application, which collects the relevant customs clearance information in advance.
"Only one QR code is needed for customs clearance here. We can go through all the required formalities and have the entire application documentation processed through electronic data transmission. After getting the QR code and having it scanned at the checkpoint, the driver will be allowed to enter the country. It's very convenient and fast," said Zhao Shuang, general manager of a freight company in Manzhouli.
From January to April, Manzhouli's total foreign trade volume increased by 43.1 percent year on year.
Inner Mongolia pilot FTZ accelerates reform to boost quality growth
