Mobility project SAVEMYBIKE nominated for RegioStars Awards 2018

The project SaveMyBike, launched in the Italian region Tuscany, has been nominated for the RegioStars Awards 2018; the award for the best Cohesion Policy project of the year.
The project is the only project that focuses exclusively on mobility among the 21 finalists shortlisted this year.

RegioStars Awards identify good practices in regional development and highlight original and innovative projects that are attractive and inspiring to other regions. The 2018 RegioStars will reward the best Cohesion Policy projects in 5 categories: achieving industrial transition; promoting a low carbon lifestyle; making public services better and more accessible; dealing with migration in the long term; and preserving the EU's cultural heritage. Commissioner for Regional policy Corina Creţu said: "Each year our RegioStars Awards set the bar higher and higher and show how EU funds can be used in the best possible way".

The SaveMyBike project has been nominated in the category “Achieving sustainability through low carbon emissions” The project aims to promote cycling and other connected sustainable transport modes, and modal shift away from car. The SaveMyBike provides an open source platform called GOOD_GO consisting of a Web portal and App. Amongst others, the platform offers an incentive scheme were users can earn credits for adopting sustainable mobility behaviour.  These credits can be used to obtain discount for public transport tickets or subscriptions or other prizes.

In addition, SaveMyBike includes a MaaS application aimed to prevent and reduce bike theft. The anti-theft system, based on the well-known RFID technology, includes a safety area module that allows to register any unauthorized removal and can notify the bike owner through the Good_Go app or with an acoustic alarm. The initiative also offers a Stolen Bike Recovery Module. Bicycles are equipped with passive RFID tags allowing the bike identification by persons equipped with a portable RFID reader, after a theft. Such persons could be traffic auxiliaries, traffic wardens, etc.

In total, 102 applications have been submitted this year to the RegioStars Awards 2018. An independent expert jury is currently determining the most outstanding project per category based on merits such as innovative character, impact, sustainability and partnership.

The project which gathers the most public votes will also receive the prestigious Public Choice Award! Anyone can cast their vote until midnight 7 October  2018, through the European Commission, DG Regional Policy website.

The winners in all 5 categories will be announced on 9 October, in the context of the 2018 EU week of Cities and Regions