19. Calls on the Commission to develop standards to ensure general harmonisation and coherence in the regulation of parking and vehicle access to urban areas, the categorisation of vehicles, the different classes of emissions, road signs, disability-friendly transport systems and technical standards in intelligent transport systems, and to boost the impetus for pedestrian zones and the protection of historical areas and generally improve the environment and public mobility; points out that the keystone of the SUMPs is quality of life, a corollary of which is the emphasis on freeing cities from traffic congestion and planning parking fac ...[+++]ilities to ensure freedom of movement for pedestrians and the attractiveness of city centres; asks the Commission to support coordinated and integrated strategic public transport solutions to relieve transport networks, urban highways and access roads to workplaces in order to improve people’s quality of life and to encourage a better work-life balance, while increasing productivity; also calls on the authorities to increase the use of intelligent technologies that can help solve problems related to urban mobility, such as on-board satellite sensors in vehicles and smart ticketing;

For tunnels in urban road networks falling within the scope of this Directive, the Administrative Authority may grant a derogation from the requirements thereof, in particular regarding the closure of lanes outside the tunnel and the distance between vehicles.

For tunnels in urban road networks falling within the scope of this Directive, the Administrative Authority may grant a derogation from the requirements, in particular regarding the closure of lanes outside the tunnel and the distance between vehicles.

The increased use of road transport brings with it a number of worrying problems: congestion of road networks and urban areas, harmful effects on the environment and public health, waste of energy and, above all, injuries, material damage and fatal accidents.

Article 2(3) of the proposal for a regulation should read as follows:" areas that can be developed on a sustainable basis and clearly present environmental benefits, namely energy efficiency and renewable energy and, in the transport sector outside the trans-European networks, sections equivalent to motorways or trunk roads connecting the trans-European networks, rail (including rolling stock), river and sea transport, intermodal transport systems and their interoperability, management of road and air traffic, clean urban transport and public transport (including rolling stock and road infrastructure for coach and bus transport)".

‘areas that can be developed on a sustainable basis and clearly present environmental benefits, namely energy efficiency and renewable energy and, in the transport sector outside the trans-European networks, sections equivalent to motorways or trunk roads connecting the trans-European networks, rail (including rolling stock), river and sea transport, intermodal transport systems and their interoperability, management of road and air traffic, clean urban transport and public transport (including rolling stock and road infrastructure for coach and bus transport)’.