Many of us who have made plans to travel in Europe can vouch for the fact that it is difficult to get reliable and complete information on the different travel possibilities, especially if there are several modes of transport involved. The reservation process is cumbersome and sometimes even impossible, due to national operators' varied reservation procedures.
As parliament's rapporteur on multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe, my aim is to address this precise problem and make seamless door-to-door mobility possible for all European citizens.
I believe that this will not only improve mobility, but also increase transport sustainability and strengthen the single market. In addition, it will promote tourism, both internally and externally, as consumers will be able to use a single ticket to travel through multiple countries, instead of buying different ones for each leg of their journey.
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In my opinion, a fundamental benefit of an integrated system is the increased mobility for Europeans and visitors alike. Customers should have the option to choose the most sustainable, best-valued or fastest connections for their journeys, all of which should be accessible online.
The availability of public transportation for all kinds of consumers, including those with disabilities or limited mobility also has to be easier across national borders, so that public transport is more lucrative for every consumer. This is because these facilities will reduce congestion, a problem that many European cities struggle to cope with daily.
They will also make transport more sustainable, as travellers switch from private to public modes of transportation. Such a move would mark significant progress for the transportation sector where, in 2012, 72.2 per cent of travellers preferred using cars to other modes of travel.
As such, the benefits of an integrated ticketing system for Europe are clear. However, there is still a long way to go. Nowadays existing travel information and journey planning services offer limited choices of transportation, based on their respective commercial agreements.
For integrated ticketing to become a reality in Europe, all service providers have to make comprehensive, multimodal, real-time travel data available to all customers. This will ensure that travellers are well informed about the booking process, as well as about any disruptions on their routes before they set off for their actual journey, along with suggestions for possible alternatives.
Simultaneously, I strongly believe that integrated ticketing should not equal higher prices for the consumer. Therefore, a level playing field for all modes of transport has to be ensured by the systematic internalisation of external costs, so that the services remain affordable for everyone.
My job as an MEP is to find ways to make the lives of European citizens easier and I feel that the ticketing system is a step in the right direction. We are doing our part in making this dream come true and we look towards the commission to assist us with legislation, should we need a forward push.