The expertise offered by Mobilissimus on cycle touring route development has been strengthened once more: during early April 2025, Dragoș Hrițuleac took part in a three-days intensive course delivered by the European Cyclists' Federation in Brussels. The aim of training was to introduce the participants to the European Certification Standard (ECS) – a framework to evaluate infrastructure developed for cycle touring routes and, where desirable, to certify these routes as part of the EuroVelo network.
The professional development in our team is tailored to meeting the needs of the market. As part of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) offered by the EU, Romania has secured funding for over 3000 km of routes targeting cycling tourism. Along the Danube River, the network under development runs along the EuroVelo 6 and 13, both highly popular among keen cyclists. In this context, we hope to be part of the initial route scoping and development for the wider network, but also to offer our services as part of the certification process.
The training provided by ECF and the survey tool introduced on the course were designed to guide the newly qualified inspectors to assess the routes from the users’ perspective. This is vital to ensure cycle tourists, of all abilities, can have a positive experience throughout. Furthermore, the needs of families with children or of those on non-standard bikes are also considered by the tool, giving policy makers and local authorities a benchmark of the current status of the infrastructure and its degree of accessibility and inclusivity. Where certification is sought or funding opportunities appear, the action plan completed as part of the reporting process can be used as a starting point for future improvements.
Local authorities that wish to certify the route within their jurisdiction need to know that a minimum of 300 km of EuroVelo routes needs to be certified in one round. This calls for collaboration between counties and stakeholders involved, both at local and national level.
The survey tool can be used even where authorities do not have any EuroVelo routes within their geographical boundaries. The versatility of certification standard means that the structured assessment strategy embedded in the tool can be applicable to other cycle touring routes; by evidencing strong and weak points as part of the survey, local authorities can then prepare stronger funding applications to enhance the quality of the routes they manage.
While in the Belgian capital, Dragoș also took the opportunity to document best practice infrastructure solutions. He witnessed the increasingly popularity of cycling for utility purposes across the city, evidencing a higher degree of mobility as a result of mode shift away from driving private cars. But most notably, he was impressed by the variety of bikes used and the diversity of people riding them.
