• orm>

    Putting road users at the heart of transport will deliver effective policy aims

    14 July 2015

    The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee voted to approve a report evaluating the implementation of the Commission’s 2011 White Paper on Transport. The document outlines the priorities and directions that the TRAN Committee would like to see the European Commission take as they continue the consultation process for the revision of the White Paper on Transport. Essentially, the Parliament position stresses that consumers must be at the heart of transport policy initiatives.

    FIA Region I welcomes the vote and supports this assessment of the White Paper’s objectives. In addition to placing road users at the heart of transport policy, post-license training for vehicle users was highlighted as a priority in the draft that was approved. This is an issue that the FIA has been promoting over many years to improve road safety. The report further foresees the constructive use of intelligent transport systems and highlights the importance of digitisation for better productivity and efficiency. The document also calls for a swift adoption of a reduction by 40% of the serious injuries from road accidents, a target which was recently withdrawn by the Commission.

    However, the report does not go far enough in its evaluation of the White Paper and FIA Region I believes that the ten goals identified in the original White Paper should have been revised. For example, Priority 1 intends to remove all conventionally fuelled vehicles from city centres by 2050, which has the potential to exclude many road users that are not able to afford alternative fuelled vehicles or do not have access to adequate public transport. Further, Priority 10, calls for a road charging scheme where the “user pays” or “polluter pays”, however there are no clear methods on how this can be calculated nor any method to include the amount that drivers are already paying in vehicle-related taxes.

    Jacob Bangsgaard, FIA Region I Director General said: “Mobility creates growth throughout Europe and has numerous benefits for society. While it is important to develop a vision on a more sustainable model, people’s needs should remain at the heart of  political goals. Policymakers must remember that each mode has a role to play to make transport more inclusive, greener, safer and more efficient. Emerging technologies must be strategically deployed to integrate and optimise different modes of transport.”

    When it comes to future legislation in the transport sector, FIA Region I urges the European Institutions to focus on core competences. This means:

    • Building a robust European infrastructure network to support all modes of transport
    • Protecting consumer data when it comes to vehicle telematics and offering the right to redress if that data is misused
    • Setting binding targets for CO2 emissions from cars post 2020
    • Funding for research, development and deployment of new car technologies

    ENDS

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    Background

    The White Paper on Transport was published by the European Commission in 2011 as a roadmap to a single European transport area. The Commission is seeking to assess its achievements in the objectives set by the White Paper via stakeholder consultation and a stocktaking exercise. FIA Region I has contributed to the consultation. The TRAN Committee drafted a report as an ‘own-initiative’, to evaluate the Commission’s work and contribute its own objectives to the goals that the Commission is working towards.

    Related documents

    2011 White Paper on Transport by the European Commission

    About FIA Region I
    FIA Region I is a consumer body representing 111 Motoring and Touring Clubs and their 38 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The FIA represents the interests of our members as motorists, riders, pedestrians and passengers. FIA Region I is working to ensure safe, affordable, clean and efficient mobility for all. www.fiaregion1.com