• Commission’s ‘future of transport’ strategy needs a reality check says T&E

    The European Commission has published its vision for the future of transport policy in the European Union. But the paper completely underestimates the challenges and proposes no concrete solutions, according to Transport and Environment.

    [mailchimp_signup][/mailchimp_signup]Jos Dings, director of Transport and Environment said: “If this is the strategy for fixing rapidly growing pollution, congestion and accidents caused by transport, then we have a big problem: it doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

    “Climate change, Europe’s flagship environmental policy, is mentioned only in passing, despite the fact that transport is the single most important sector holding back progress.”

    “The International Energy Agency has recognised that conventional oil is running out and ‘unconventional’ alternatives such as tar sands will be even costlier and dirtier. But the Commission doesn’t give any clue as to how it proposes to deal with this issue of fundamental strategic importance to the EU.”

    “The question of managing demand for transport is not mentioned, and even traffic congestion which costs the European economy EUR 120 billion every year gets little serious attention.”

    “The current economic climate, and the impact that will have on national infrastructure budgets and on demand for transport is not considered. Governments need lean and green transport policies now. Road pricing schemes could help plug the gap and also bring huge economic and environmental benefits. But this has also escaped the Commission’s attention.”

    “The only positive aspect of this paper lies in the recognition that technological leadership in environmental technology will benefit the European economy, not drag it down, as has often been said in the past.”