Road Transport - Activities

The core responsibility of the ITF Group on road Transport is to deal with the issues regarding the Multilateral Quota System. It also deals with the regional aspects of road transport, according to its work programme.

Multilateral Quota

In 2011 the Group continues its regular work on the management of the Multilateral Quota of freight transport licences. It oversees distribution of licences by the Member countries (see also Licences) and monitors compliance with the rules of Quota functioning. The latest Guide on the ECMT Multilateral Quota 2009 (see also Russian + Corrigendum) entered in force on 1 January 2009. It features new model certificates: Certificate of Compliance with Technical Provisions Concerning Exhaust and Noise Emissions and Safety Requirements for EURO III safe, EURO IV safe or EURO V safe Motor Vehicle( cf. Annex 4 ), Certificate of Safety for a Trailer (cf. Annex 5) and Certificate of Roadworthiness Test for Motor Vehicles and Trailers (cf. Annex 6). In addition, the Guide briefly describes the aims of the Multilateral Quota System and outlines the main rules of its functioning. The Guide will be revised following the introduction of EURO VI vehicle category into the system in 2014. As mandated by Ministers, the Group is also studying options for the future development of the Multilateral Quota System and its restructuring with a view to adopting a new distribution of the Multilateral Quota of licences to Member Countries from 2013 and onwards. The Group is also developing a long-term strategic vision, based on the 2005 agreed guidelines, as well as earlier statements, made by Ministers. With this aim, the Group supervised preparation of the Report on European Road Freight Transport Markets and ECMT Multilateral Quota Perspectives (ProgTrans AG, 2009). The report on The Construction and Operation of the Road Freight Transport Market in Europe, prepared by Professor Maurice Bernadet (2009) also provides a reference point to the work of the Group in this direction. The Report on the Development of the Multilateral Quota System, prepared by the High Level Group under chairmanship of Professor Brian Bayliss (2011) provides further recommendations on improving and developing the Quota system in a mid and long term perspective.

Social Aspects

The Group on Road Transport renewed its work on social aspects in road transport, with a focus on four specific areas:

Admission to the occupation Driving and rest times Categorisation of infringements Driver training

A Sub-Group, with the help of IRU and EC, is currently developing a framework for this work over the next two years. The aim is to promote the highest quality transport on a social level, as one of the main pillars of the Multilateral Quota System development.

Events

The Group in cooperation with IMTT (Inland Transport Authority) of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications of Portugal organised the Joint ITF/IMTT Seminar on Innovation in Road Transport: Opportunities for Improving Efficiency, held in Lisbon on 2 October 2009. The Group also contributed to the preparation of the Seminar on Overcoming Border Crossing Obstacles, organised jointly with the UNECE and the World Bank on 5-6 March 2009 in Paris.

Publications

The Group in cooperation with IRU updated a joint publication on Truck Parking Areas 2009 and contributed to the development of the online facility TRANSPark. 2010 update of Permissible Weights and Dimensions of Trucks and Coaches in Europe is available online. The Group is currently updating the online publication on Road Transport Regulating and Enforcement Bodies to be published in September 2011.