Report

Safe and sustainable freight transport: Our common challenge

July 28, 2002

Freight transport, mainly road freight, has grown at a persistently high rate over the last thirty years. As a result, the current situation is not sustainable for the environment, society or economy.

The following measures must be taken over the course of the coming years if a sustainable goods transport system is to be attained:

  • Introduce a fair and efficient pricing system for all transport users, and particularly a kilometre charge for road haulage
  • Implement liberalisation in rail freight transport by guaranteeing non-discriminatory access to rail infrastructure
  • Create an interoperable rail network
  • Develop rail freight services into a reliable, customer-oriented alternative to road haulage
  • Promote infrastructure projects for environmentally less damaging transport modes as well as projects which serve intermodality and interoperability
  • Consistently apply integrated assessment methods to evaluate the economic, environmental and social conse- quences of proposed infrastructure projects, before they are started
  • Improve and harmonise social, environmental and safety regulations across the different transport modes to encourage a level playing field between transport modes; as well as to protect transport users, broader society and the environment.

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