Taking the load off road transport An initiative was established to help reduce the amount of freight carried European roads by employing other forms of transport, including rail, sea and inland waterways. The process benefited from the development of a framework that simplified the use of freight services. Climate Change and Environment © Shutterstock The Freightwise initiative was funded by the EU's 6th Framework Programme. It brought together transport operators, traffic and infrastructure managers, and administrators such as customs. The aim was to develop a framework to deal with managerial and technical aspects for intermodal transport based on real business cases from across Europe. A ground-breaking study of intermodal freight transport was conducted, which examined different forms of transport. Analysis revealed that the procedure for booking freight services could be narrowed down to four roles and six messages to form the Freightwise framework (FWF). The harmonised framework covered managerial and technical aspects and identified the four roles as services provider, user, network manager and regulator. The four roles could be adopted by persons, companies or authorities. The FWF required only six messages to contain all the information necessary to simplify the booking process and undertake an intermodal transport service. The FWF facilitated intermodal transport and encouraged more sustainable ways of travelling in preference to using the road networks, such as by rail, short sea shipping or inland waterways. A reduction in the level of freight transported by road can benefit other sectors of the economy, help protect the environment and improve people's quality of life.
