Digitalising urban mobility and logistics for cleaner, smarter and more inclusive cities
Colombia is one of the most urbanised countries in Latin America. The ACCESS project supports the advancement of data-driven low-carbon mobility solutions through the digitalization of public transport and urban logistics systems. The project focuses on developing practical, scalable demonstrations in Bogotá and Medellín that strengthen local capacities for data collection, analysis and evidence-based planning
A highly urbanised country accelerating clean mobility
Colombia has set one of the region's most ambitious climate targets. The highly urbanised country aims to have a 51% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030. Guided by Colombia's National Development Plan and other national and sub-national strategies and policies, The ACCESS project supports Colombia in closing this gap by piloting practical digital tools for emissions characterisation, fleet monitoring and sustainable logistics in two cities, while simultaneously strengthening the regulatory frameworks and institutional capacities needed to scale these solutions nationally.
Using digitalisation to improve how people and goods move
ACCESS in Colombia is focused on using digitalisation to improve how people and goods move through Bogotá and Medellín. The national project combines pilot implementation, capacity strengthening, policy support, and regional knowledge exchange. Through this approach, ACCESS is helping generate evidence, test practical tools, and build the institutional and technical foundations needed to support more efficient, inclusive, and lower-emission urban mobility.
Implement and evaluate pilot projects on transport digitalization in the cities of Medellín and Bogotá and use it to inform national transport digitalisation strategies.
Strengthen national and local capacities in the use of digital tools and data analysis for urban mobility through workshops, training sessions and educational spaces aimed at the main actors in the transport sector, including the integration of gender perspectives, inclusion and multisectoral participation.
Support the development and adoption of subnational policies and plans aimed at inclusive and low-carbon urban mobility, producing technical evidence and lessons learned from pilot projects to inform decision-making and the design of regulatory and operational frameworks in cities.
Contribute to the regional expansion of experiences and knowledge in transport digitalization through the production of technical content, digital tools and active participation in regional training and dissemination platforms.
Bogotá
Generating evidence on how data-driven sustainable driving programs can improve freight transport efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions
Visit Bogotá city page →Medellín
The electric bus and e-bike pilot aims to reduce transport energy consumption for both public transport and delivery.
Visit Medellín city page →Key digitalisation milestones
Digital Readiness Assessment Outcomes
The Digital Readiness Assessment provided an initial overview of Colombia's institutional, technical, and data-related conditions for implementing digital solutions in the transport sector. It helped identify existing capacities, gaps, and opportunities to support the deployment of digital layers linked to low-emission urban mobility pilots in Bogotá and Medellín.
Institutional engagement for transport digitalisation
National-level engagement has been strengthened through coordination with key ministries, including the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies.
Development of a digital platform concept
A preliminary concept for the project's digital platform has been developed to support data visualization, analysis, and decision-making. The platform is expected to integrate information from the pilot monitoring activities.
Capacity-building on digitalisation and data use
At the national level, the project is preparing training activities related to digitalisation in transport systems, data analysis, and optimisation.
From institutional engagement to national policy
Institutional engagement and pilot learning in Colombia will feed into national policy co-development for sustainable urban mobility planning, evidence-based public policy and inclusive digitalisation. Working groups bring together national ministries, local authorities, private-sector operators, academia and civil society.
Baseline assessment of institutional and technical conditions
Coordination with key national ministries
Digital platform concept for data visualisation
Training on digitalisation and data use
Bogotá and Medellín pilot testing
National policy inputs and replication
Where ACCESS works
Active
Bogotá
Digital tools to monitor and analyse freight transport operations, establishing links between driving behaviour, traffic patterns and emissions. The project deploys a data collection platform across cargo vehicles to test Avoid–Shift–Improve strategies.
Active
Medellín
Strengthens the city's capacity to monitor and analyse data from both public transport and electric bicycle delivery services, tracking electric and combustion buses alongside e-bikes to compare energy consumption and emissions.
Who makes ACCESS possible
UNEP
UN Agency Overall project lead. Overall project coordination and leadership in Colombia.
UNDP
UN Agency Leading the Digital Readiness Assessment
Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira
Academic Technical partner leading research and delivery in Colombia.
Explore the ACCESS countries
Argentina
Develop, test, and assess digital solutions for improving urban logistics operations and for supporting evidence-based transport planning.
Explore Argentina →Brazil
New tools for mobility data, public transport information, active mobility monitoring and low-emission zones are being developed and tested.
Explore Brazil →Ecuador
Transport optimisation and air-quality modelling; a digital tool for low-emission cross-docking and last-mile logistics; multimodal public transport integration.
Explore Ecuador →Mexico
Public transport digital monitoring and GTFS, and micromobility/bike-sharing operations and safety.
Explore Mexico →Peru
Strengthen capabilities in the transport sector, particularly for data collection, real-time monitoring and analysis.
Explore Peru →Take action
Whether you are a policymaker, city official, private-sector actor, researcher or civil society organisation, ACCESS Colombia offers practical entry points to engage with digital mobility tools, policy learning and inclusive low-carbon transport solutions.