The targets to cut road freight transport that Europe hopes to reach by 2030 are “unrealistic”. This was expressed by the European Court of Auditors, which presented a special report on intermodal transport of goods. Road freight traffic increased from 72% in 2019 to the current 77%, although the Commission has allocated €1.1 billion from 2014 to 2020 to encourage the transport of containers by train or inland waterways. EU inspectors’ summary is “Trucks are still masters”.
“Unrealistic Goals”
In the report, “The European Commission has set unrealistic targets for 2030 and 2050”, referring to the goal of doubling rail traffic and increasing the use of inland waterways by 50%. Goals deemed unattainable: “Intermodal freight transport cannot yet compete on an equal footing with road transport due to regulatory and infrastructural barriers”. Among the deterrents to the transition to more eco-sustainable freight transport there are even “certain EU rules” (dating back to 1992) that “harm the attractiveness of intermodal transport”, such as the current version of the combined transport directive, which is considered “outdated”. ) and ineffective”.
delayed trains
There are also the unreliability and delays of the second route, among other factors that push companies to prefer road transport over train. Italy, one of the six EU countries analyzed in the report, records punctuality rates of 41% on international rail routes and 54% on domestic rail routes. The reliability level of inland freight transport by train is 70% in Italy, 78% in the Netherlands, 90% in Poland, 96% in France, 98% in Spain and 100% in Germany.
truck emissions
The EU Court of Auditors reminded that the transport sector “is responsible for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, and almost three quarters of this (72% in 2019) can be attributed to road transport”. Specifically, “trucks and trucks that transport goods by road are responsible for about a quarter of road transport emissions”. Therefore, increasing road freight traffic and the challenges faced in intermodal transport are “problems that the EU must address if it is to achieve its ecological goals”.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
