The EU’s new climate change commissioner is promising an initiative on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from lorries, and says the existing agreement to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars could be tightened to provide greater incentives to car makers.
February 15, 2010 | Cars | Climate Change & Energy | General Transport | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin
Expanding the EU’s Eurovignette directive to cover pollution, noise and congestion would not disadvantage peripheral member states and would bring net benefits of at least €2.3 billion a year.
February 15, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin
T&E has written to the Commission’s leading transport official to complain about political interference in the conclusions drawn from a research group on freight transport. The Freight Visions group has included input from a number of NGOs, including T&E, but the draft conclusions differ distinctly from many of the working groups. In a letter to Matthias Ruete, T&E director Jos Dings said, ‘Once again it appears that the research has been politically managed to ensure that conclusions fit neatly with the current policy approach ... It is unacceptable that such a project is approached with a political direction and a reduced level of ambition already in mind.’
February 15, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin
An opinion poll in Switzerland has shown 80% of Swiss citizens are against extra long lorries – generally known as 'mega-trucks' – being allowed to use Swiss roads. The poll, carried out by the Link Institute, questioned more than 1200 people, and looked at regional variations, showing 87% against in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino. This latest survey combines with similar results from opinion polls in France, Germany and Great Britain, which indicate a majority oppose 60-tonne lorries across Europe.
February 15, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin
Report making the case for exempting aerodynamic devices from future type-approval legislation for heavy goods vehicles.
January 26, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | Lorries & Road Freight
Editorial by Maarten van Biezen and Chris Nobel, The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment (T&E member organisation) The idea of basing motoring taxation on the distance a vehicle is driven – generally known these days as a 'kilometre charge' – is in principle a good one which environmental groups have advocated for years. But as recent developments in the Netherlands have shown, the road to good charging can often be a bumpy one.
December 16, 2009 | Cars | Lorries & Road Freight | Pricing & Taxation | T&E Bulletin
A study by the Commission's transport directorate and the Joint Research Centre of Sevilla says the overall benefits of charging vehicles for their external costs outweigh the limited negative price impacts on individual transport operators.
December 16, 2009 | T&E Bulletin | Lorries & Road Freight | Pricing & Taxation
Briefing on proposed CO2 targets for light commercial vehicles.
December 16, 2009 | Cars | Climate Change & Energy | Lorries & Road Freight
Having campaigned for years against road transit traffic, T&E member organisation The Alpine Initiative asked 50 lorry drivers what exactly they were transporting through Switzerland's Gotthard road tunnel. The answers ranged from car tyres, disposable nappies and felt, to cigarette filters and even caps for toothpaste tubes.
December 16, 2009 | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin
Response to the European Commission consultation on the EU Road Safety Action Programme 2011-2020
December 7, 2009 | Infrastructure | Cars | Lorries & Road Freight | Vans | General Transport