Soft Mobility In Monaco

In Monaco, soft mobility is a key priority and numerous efforts are being made to meet the targets set by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, which include achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
If these ambitions are to be achieved, everyone needs to play their part.
A number of different soft mobility and intermodal solutions have been developed, to make getting around in Monaco easier.

To encourage walking (with just 2 km², everything in Monaco is within walking distance), the Principality now has:

- 80 public elevators
- 37 escalators
- 8 travelators

For cyclists, MonaBike is the public electric bike hire scheme. There are a total of 350 electrically-assisted bikes spread across Monaco, allowing everyone to take advantage of a unique experience. With a range of up to 60 km, these bikes can be recharged at one of the 49 charging stations dotted around the Principality.

Hybrid buses
The Principality’s bus operator, Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco, runs efficient and environmentally-friendly services.  Its buses run on diester, a biodiesel fuel that generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Some 22 hybrid buses have been rolled out since 2016.

Mobee is a unique public car hire scheme that lets users rent a vehicle with a prepaid card. The fleet is made up of cars with seating for either two or five people.

A fun and eco-friendly solution is the electric and solar-powered  bus boat that ferries passengers across the port and links Monaco-Ville with the Casino.

* If you’re travelling to the Principality… See our article on “green ways to get to Monaco”

 

APPS FOR MAKING THE MOST AVAILABLE TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS**

Launched in 2021, Monapass is an all-on-one app that lets tourists and those living and working in Monaco pool all of their travel passes (bus, Monabike, public car parking) in one place: their smartphone.

Citymapper is a free mobile app that guides users to their destination in real time. Proposed itineraries combine walking, electric bike hire schemes, buses, water shuttles, car-sharing, and even helicopter flights. The app also shows the availability of car parks in Monaco in real-time.

The  Monaco Malin brochure presents all of the possibilities for getting around in the Principality. For every district of Monaco, it shows pedestrian paths, elevators, escalators, and travelators, electrically-assisted bike stations, and public transport links.
Tourist places of interest and healthcare institutions are also included, for easier travel.

 

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING

The Monte-Carlo Bay Super Charger
Since May 2019, the Monte-Carlo Bay hotel has had a super charger for electric vehicles. The charger’s technology ensures it can fully charge a battery in just 20 to 30 minutes, whereas normally the process takes several hours. Traditionally found near major roads, this charger’s location in the centre of the city is unique. The commitment to sustainability goes even further, with the energy used for this facility coming from solar panels mounted on the hotel’s roof.

Monaco On
Monaco On stations are free, efficient, easily identifiable by their yellow colour, and require no subscription. Each one is like a mini electric service station, with several terminals designed to allow as many users as possible to recharge their electric vehicles quickly and easily. You will be able to spot them straight away, thanks to their bright yellow colour.

**Using different modes of transport during the same journey

 

 SOME SOFT MOBILITY-RELATED EVENTS ORGANISED IN MONACO...

Monaco Energy Boat Challenge
Organised since 2014 by the Yacht Club de Monaco in collaboration with the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is the only competition of its kind in the world.
Over a century on from its first international meetings of its motor dinghies launched in 1904, the Yacht Club de Monaco has revived a tradition by inviting young engineers to team up with experienced manufacturers and give free rein to their creativity. Their goal is to develop alternatives to standard propulsion systems, imagining and optimising the designs that will power the yachts of tomorrow, using exclusively clean energy sources.  It is a real technological challenge, aimed at tackling the energy issues faced by the naval and boating industries, while providing support and promoting sustainable development.


Monaco eRally
The eRally is an authentic road race reserved exclusively for all-electric and all-hydrogen-powered vehicles, with no use of range extenders permitted. This TSD rally is now very popular with automotive manufacturers and race teams, who come to show off the technological and innovative potential of their vehicles in demanding real-life conditions. It is the successor event to the “Monte-Carlo Rally for Electric Vehicles” created in 1995. By definition, eRallies promote new automotive technologies designed to limit all sorts of pollution, especially fine particles and CO2. They also encourage drivers to adopt an eco-responsible driving style, the priority being the protection of environment and the transition in the transportation sector, by using electricity as a source of propulsion for vehicles.

Monaco ePrix
First held in Monaco in 2015, the ePrix has all the thrilling spectacle of Formula 1, but with all-electric engines. Formula E and technology have made giant strides in terms of power and range. For the first time this year, the cars raced on the full Formula 1 circuit (until last year, they were limited to the lower section of the circuit). Alongside the race, an “E Village” showcases the latest developments and innovations by the constructors, and also features a “Gaming Zone” where fans can test their driving skills in the simulator. Formula E is also the only sport in the world that gives fans the chance to influence the outcome of the race, by voting for their favourite driver and giving them an extra performance boost during the race. That’s the “Fan Boost” effect! The Monaco ePrix is an official race on the international Formula E (FIA) calendar.



EVER
Since 2006, EVER Monaco has been a showcase and forum for discussions focusing on two major issues: sustainable mobility and renewable energies. Everything from bikes and motorcycles to cars, public transport and industrial vehicles is up for debate, but the event is also aimed at energy companies, sustainable habitat stakeholders, and all businesses with a part to play in shaping a low-carbon future.

 

 

Photo credits: ©Benjamin Vergély