Economic crisis hits road transport

Geneva – The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has just published its Road Transport Indices for 2009. Based on GDP, road freight volumes and registrations of new commercial vehicles, tracked in 17 OECD countries*, the IRU Indices show a decrease in economic growth and stagnation of new vehicle registrations and road freight volumes.

For the beginning of 2009, the IRU indices forecast:

1. a decrease in GDP by 0.3%, in comparison to an overall increase of 1.5% in 2008;
2. a flat growth of 3.275 mio. tonnes of road transport volumes, as in the 4th quarter of 2008; and
3. a stagnation of new vehicle registrations after an overall increase of 0.7% in 2008.

IRU Head of Sustainable Development, Jens Hügel, concluded: “After years of steady economic growth, increase in transport volumes and high numbers of new vehicle registrations, the economic crisis will clearly impact the road transport industry in 2009. The 2nd quarter IRU indices, due to be released in March 2009, will provide an even clearer picture of how deep the economic recession will impact the sector in 2009.

For country comparison and comparative data, as well as methodology, please visit the IRU’s website www.iru.org.

* * *

* Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland United Kingdom