Motorway association appeals to Commission to listen to sector's research needs
Kallistratos Dionelis, Secretary General of ASECAP, the European association of tolled motorways has told CORDIS News that the European Commission needs to listen to the motorway sector's research needs. ASECAP represents 90 companies from 12 countries and is currently negotiating membership with Poland, the UK, the Czech Republic and Germany. The organisation was created in 1973 and aims to participate in the modernisation and development of motorways process resulting from technological innovation, market unification, the removal of national borders and changes in the productive sectors. What is needed is more research into information and communication technologies which can be used by motorway users, said Mr Dionelis. In ASECAP's opinion paper on the Commission's White Paper on transport, the organisation stresses the importance of research for the development of motorways: 'The development of new technologies in the motorway sector will lead to significant fallout in terms of traffic management, safety, information and services to users, emission reductions etc and thus of sustainable development,' Mr Dionelis said. 'The aim, undoubtedly, is to better evaluate possible gains and to ensure that the level of 'intelligence' of the vehicles corresponds to that of infrastructure equipment.' Speaking about its opinion paper, José-Luis Feito, President of ASECAP, said that the organisation is taking the Commission White Paper 'very seriously'. Mr Dionelis stressed that the opinion paper has been written by 90 companies, which he claimed holds more weight than the individual comments of 15 Member States.