The main objective within the bus-related part of the PMU The Tourist Mobility Plan includes dedicated roads and lanes entails decreasing waiting times at stops by introducing a bus for tourist buses and reduced access for polluting vehicles (that frequency of six minutes (PMU, 2013-2018). As a complement is, the creation of green zones that polluting vehicles cannot to that goal, the City Council has worked with the private sector enter). In addition, the circulation of empty taxis that are looking to implement a fleet of electric minibuses; these operate on for passeges’amounts to a waste of energy, and it increases routes in neighborhoods that present mobility difficulties pollutant emissions, noise, and congestion. It also increases the and bad service coverage. The city has also considered the risk of traffic accidents. The City Council is considering options deployment of specific recharging infrastructure for its public to overcome this issue. transport vehicles (PMU, 2013-2018). Although minibuses have a lower passenger capacity than standard buses do, it is easier Mobility apps are being centralized by the city. The city is also to offer a high frequency of them, and they also emit less CO2 reducing the number of taxis circulating. In Barcelona, Uber’s if they are fully electric. Finally, the mix of combustion engine application is not fully allowed. In 2019, when Uber and Cabify buses and full-electric buses within the city confirms the city’s suspended their services in Barcelona following a string of new transition toward an emobility system. regulations brought about by a week-long taxi strike, the two ride-hailing companies gave up the Barcelona market. In March The Road Transport Infrastructure Program, part of the PMU, 2019, barely a month after saying it would leave Barcelona, the includes a master plan containing new bus lanes and platforms Spanish company Cabify resumed its services (a transport app reserved for facilitating buses’ circulation on interurban routes. with private cars with a driver), continuing to provide its own fleet In addition, information panels located at stop areas indicate of cars and operate under VTC licenses. In March 2021, it was the time remaining before the next bus arrives, and smartphone Uber’s turn to come back with a different approach. Instead of applications are being developed to supplement existing hiring its own drivers, it let taxis use its software at no cost. The information services such as the Zonabus online portal. City Council is attempting to progressively incorporate vehicles that use alternative fuels into its fleets (PMU, 2013-2018). In The next plan, called Urban Mobility Plan 2024, received its addition, many big buses filled with tourists enter and make first approval in 2021. At this stage, this plan specifies a total of stops in the city every day, taking up parking spaces. The City sixty lines of action and more than three hundred measures to Council has developed some parking places outside the city to achieve more sustainable, safer, and healthier mobility. It also reduce traffic congestion and address the lack of parking spaces. sets the objective that in 2024 81 percent of trips will be made on foot, by public transport, or by bicycle. 2.4.2 The T-mobility and universal accessibility plans Barcelona’s master plan for universal accessibility aims to Moreover, in collaboration with the city’s transit authority, the uphold all citizens’ right to access public transport without ATM (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità), Barcelona City Council discrimination (PMU, 2013-2018). The T-Mobility (T-mobilitat) has defined a set of measures that aim to increase residents’ use is a contactless card. It can be used as a physical plastic card, of public transportation by offering them an efficient system that or in electronic format, via mobile phones with NFC technology. fits their needs. The measures include (PMU, 2013-2018): This system has been established by the ATM.The T-Mobility •The creation of boarding/alighting points according to a project is a supramunicipal scheme for which Barcelona City prearranged timetable for public transport in congested Council provides full support at the metropolis scale (PMU, areas (more park and rides, more bus-boarding islands, 2013-2018). This new model will extend the existing tariff model spatial discrimination); to the sphere of influence of the ATM, with the establishment •Configuring traffic lights so that they give priority to buses; of a single fare system and a unified payment system. It aims •Creating a public transport hub at the Autonomousto improve both planning and management of the public University of Barcelona; transport network by significantly increasing the availability •Creating park-and-ride bus stops. of information. The three key elements are: a new technology system (platform), a new fare system, and a new management 2.4.1 Public transport and tourists system (PMU, 2013-2018). It needs to be kept in mind that Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Europe among tourists and that the number Looking to the long term, the ATM and the City Council have of tourists in the city has implications for public transportation. proposed the inclusion of other mobility elements such as bikes, Barcelona’s Tourist Mobility Plan 2013-2018 was developed to taxis, parking, car sharing, motorbike sharing, motorways, and tackle challenges in this area. so on. This approach will be an easy way to allow multimodality 93 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021