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ACEM response to the EC consultation on Transport Policy
Download: ACEM response to the Mid-Term Review on Transport Policy
With the White Paper on Transport Policy, the Commission proposed an Action Plan aimed at bringing about substantial improvements in the quality and efficiency of transport in Europe. ACEM believes that the white paper has not only failed to recognize that personal mobility is a basic right which should be at the heart of the EU Common Transport Policy, but also underestimated the vital role played by road transport in modern economies, as 90% of people in the EU travel by road.
So far, all attempts to reduce road traffic by developing artificially alternative means of transport have failed. As evidenced by the statistical data available, promoting narrow concepts, such as "modal shift", "marginal cost pricing" or "decoupling" should now be considered as policy choices that have simply been proven wrong.Therefore, ACEM believes that the focus should be on policy measures that are fully compatible with the real demand-oriented needs of European citizens and businesses. Action is needed to re-orient the EU Common Transport Policy within the framework of a more systematic approach, without favouring arbitrarily one or the other transport mode, whilst at the same time applying realistic and economically viable principles, such as:
- Fair and equal competition between and within transport modes,
- Freedom of choice by users/citizens and accordingly the respect of rights and choice of users to select the most appropriate transport mode for their mobility needs;
- Transport efficiency (encouraging the most suitable and effective mode of transport according to the circumstances) to be considered as highly important;
- Integration, in particular in urban areas, of Powered Two-Wheelers (PTW’s) in transport policy.
It would be a mistake if urban transport policies focused only on public transport neglecting other valuable alternatives such as PTW’s. ACEM observes that this is currently the case in the White Paper on Transport Policy. The European Parliament in its Resolution on the White Paper (2002) supported “improved mobility for motorcyclists through institutional investment, subsidies and legislation reflecting this preference (…)”In summary, EU transport policy should focus on providing mobility and transport free choice for the individual journeys of citizens, instead of continuing the failed approach of attempting to socially engineer the citizen’s transport choices towards the very narrow and personally constrained routes that are offered by non private powered modes.
ACEM believes that the on-going mid term review is finally the opportunity to integrate PTW’s and recognize their role in modern society.
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