IRU Road Transport Indices forecast a flat growth of GDP and transported tonnes and a reluctance from transport operators to invest in new vehicles, particularly in the EU.

Geneva - The IRU Road Transport Indices, an online data source of GDP growth, road freight transport volumes and new vehicle registrations in 51 countries* forecast flat economic growth in GDP and transported tonnes until the end of 2010, which is likely to deter EU transport operators from investing in new vehicles. 

Following the geographical extension of the IRU Indices to include all OECD and EU Member States, as well as the Balkan, BRIC and TRACECA countries in January 2010, the IRU has now added quarterly forecasts for all EU countries and the possibility to do country-by-country comparisons within the OECD and EU regions.

For the second quarter of 2010, IRU Indices’ new EU feature shows:

• a 0.09% decrease in GDP (USD 3.033 trillion);

• a 0.07% decrease in tonnes transported (4.056 billion) and,

• a 0.07% decrease in new vehicles registered (58,815). 

IRU Head of Sustainable Development, Jens Hügel, said “The lack of economic growth in the EU and the uncertainty for the rest of 2010 and beginning of 2011 may lead transport operators to be reluctant to invest in new trucks, opting instead to reactivate their idling fleet or rent additional vehicles. This reluctance to invest is amplified by the fact that fuel prices are on the rise again, almost reaching the all-time highs of mid-2008 in many countries”

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For country comparisons and comparative data, as well as IRU Indices methodology, please visit the IRU’s website (http://www.iru.org/index/indices-app).

Press contact: Juliette Ebélé, +41 22 918 27 07, press@iru.org