Brussels, 03/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 2 March, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) called for the implementation of a harmonised European level framework for low emissions zones (LEZ). A single information platform for travellers and companies could be used to define traffic conditions within theses zones, imposed in certain cities as a way of restricting traffic and reducing CO2 emissions. According to the IRU, the same rules should be applied by all cities that seek to introduce low emission zones or other similar access or traffic restrictions.
In a press release, the vice president of the IRU, Graham Smith, declared: “There are today close to 200 European cities with different LEZ schemes, which makes it extremely difficult and costly for travellers and businesses alike to find their way in this increasingly inhospitable administrative environment.” The IRU explains that the lack of a harmonised framework to support the introduction of LEZs in the European Union results in the European single market and travel area being increasingly fragmented, which generates inefficiencies and soaring costs for individual travellers, businesses and their customers. By restricting the use of buses and coaches, and particularly visiting touring coaches, uncoordinated city policies actually contribute to increased CO2 emission and traffic congestion, and limit the contribution of coach tourists to local and regional economies, whilst negatively impacting the efficient functioning of the European travel and transport market.
Smith also explained that these traffic restrictions particularly affect tourist coaches in the EURO III category “despite being the best environmental deal only 5 years ago! Postponing city traffic restrictions that affect some 80, 000 EURO III coaches until 2015 would save the European bus and coach industry up to €2 billion, which could be invested in even cleaner vehicles.”
According to the recommendations made by the IRU and the participants in the first European debate on low emission zones, organised on Wednesday, the harmonised structure for the LEZs should also contain provisions and recommendations for consultation with the industry, as well as timely and accessible multilingual information provided to EU travellers and visiting operators. The IRU is calling for an EU-wide public-private platform to be set up to deal with these issues with the European Commission. (A.By./transl.fl)