IRU welcomes Deutsche Bahn’s willingness to discuss the introduction of revised weight and dimensions for Heavy Goods Vehicles to increase EU transport system efficiency.

The IRU welcomes Deutsche Bahn’s (DB)/ Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) joint statement on the creation of a more efficient transport system, and in particular DB’s commitment to discuss ways to establish revised rules of weights and dimensions for heavy goods vehicles and willingness to explore how the innovative Modular Concept  can contribute positively to creating more efficient logistics chains.

IRU General Delegate to the EU, Michael Nielsen, stressed, “The road transport industry welcomes this positive move by DB. It is a very important development that such a major European Railway operator has chosen to put an end to the dogmatic opposition to the Modular Concept in favour of making constructive progress with all the stakeholders to implement the Modular Concept at EU level. DB’s policy shift clearly based on the sound understanding that a standardised Modular Concept is the best solution for making combined rail-road transport more efficient and more economically attractive.”

Now that the OECD has just issued a report highlighting that the Modular Concept can be instrumental in meeting CO2 reduction targets and achieving co-modality, coupled with the positive results of field tests performed in several EU Member States – including Germany’s recent decision to start testing the Modular concept - and the numerous scientific studies which fully support the efficiency, economic and environmental benefits of the Modular Concept, it is time for the European Commission to act!

Michael Nielsen concluded: “The standardised Modular Concept is the solution to promote multimodal transport and provide better, rather than more transport. If the EU wants to reach its self set targets for competitiveness and environmental preservation, the European Commission must take a leadership role to standardise the Modular Concept and ensure that its benefits are reflected in policies relating to green corridors, logistics action plan and the White Paper for the future of transport!”

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·         Read more on the Modular Concept  

·         Download high resolution pictures

·         Read IRU press release on the Modular Concept at the ITF 2010

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