EUROPEAN rail industry lobby group Rail Freight Forward is warning that proposed changes to European Union (EU) legislation could reverse modal shift from road to rail.
Speaking at Rail Freight Forward’s first-ever international press conference on March 5, Ms Sigrid Nikutta, the organisation’s chair and CEO of DB Cargo, outlined how proposals to amend the Weights and Measures Directive threaten positive progress in moving freight from road to rail and could have the opposite effect.
“This amendment is well meant, but totally misses its aim,” Nikutta says. “We want to emphasise that the consequences [if the amendment is approved unchanged] will be very severe. So far this has been seen as just a technical matter, but it is much more than that.”
The consequences highlighted, if the EU decides to allow 60 tonne trucks on European cross-border roads, include reduced road safety, increased environmental damage to roads and the atmosphere, and less interoperability for combined road-rail transport. Ultimately, studies have suggested, there could be reverse modal shift from rail to road of up to 21%.
Nikutta says that Rail Freight Forward proposes two clear changes to the amended directive:
- limiting weight limit increases to electric trucks only and restricting operation of these megatrucks solely within domestic borders, and
- ensuring that discussion of the Weights and Measures Directive is linked with simultaneous discussion of the Combined Transport Directive.
A vote on the amended the Weights and Measures Directive is due in the European Parliament (EP) on March 11.
“If our proposals are not acted on it will be a win for the road transport industry and a loss for EU taxpayers,” Nikutta says.
