CORDIS Archive

February
2000

A cross-roads for the transport industry

Over the next century, European experts forecast a massive increase in demand for all means of moving around, but especially road transport. How should governments manage this expansion? What will the environmental impact be? And where does the EU fit into the equation?

The ECMT was set up in 1953 as an intergovernmental organisation bringing together transport ministers from 39 countries, stretching from Ireland to the Russian Federation, from Finland to Turkey. In his opening address, its Secretary-General Gerhard Aurbach points out that the increase in traffic confronts policy-makers with a set of irreconcilable demands. "We all wish to be protected from transport's nuisances where we live, but we want quality infrastructure that will save us time when we travel." We may like to believe that technological advances such as teleworking and virtual conferencing will resolve the problems, but there is no guarantee that demand for transport will fall away over the coming century. Sustainable development will have to become the prime objective for planners and decision-makers, even though this may bring unpopular measures such as road pricing.

Reviewing the need for strategic planning, German experts Hans-Jürgen Ewers and Henning Tegner stress the importance of the European dimension. Although, until now, transport planning has tended to be a national responsibility, this is no longer acceptable. "The intended effects do not stop at the country's borders," they point out. "The longer term aim is to subject all national strategic infrastructure projects throughout Europe to a comparable assessment procedure."

Given their rapid change of direction, central and eastern Europe merit special attention. Petr Stejskal from the Czech Ministry of Transport and Communications draws attention to the role of transport facilities in bridging gaps between wealthy and poor, and central and outlying regions; and in countering national and cultural isolation and underdevelopment. Hans Vogelaar from the Netherlands Economic Institute argues that an efficient, reliable, and user-oriented transport infrastructure is the prerequisite of a well-functioning market economy. "Systems inherited from the former command economy were inadequate, as networks were designed on the basis of political control rather than economic efficiency."

Turning to the environmental impact of travel, Gerd Sammer from Vienna's Universität für Bodenkultur outlines the trends influencing the 'sustainability of mobility' - such as exhaust emissions, noise, infrastructure costs, land use, soil and water pollution and safety. These indicate that, in general, the world is moving ever further away from sustainable transport methods, and he concludes that additional countermeasures have to be implemented by both the EU and national governments.

It is still a matter of debate whether sustainable mobility can be achieved via a fully liberalised market, or whether government regulation is needed. Also at issue are the respective roles of the public and private sectors in financing transport infrastructure. Innovative forms of transport management are discussed, such as user clubs, in which members pay a fee for user rights. And the report stresses the increasing importance of dynamic, strategic planning, referring to the lessons to be learnt from the strengths and weaknesses of the Trans-European Network (TEN) concept.

In conclusion, the majority of symposium participants are in favour of a mixed approach, with governments setting down ground rules and encouraging competition, while transport systems themselves should be operated by private undertakings.