Coronavirus (COVID-19) information hub

COVID-19 has severely impacted people and business all over the world and IRU is continuing to monitor the situation and post regular updates.

Road transport services have been crucial in responding to the crisis, but many are now struggling to survive. Latest IRU research shows that: 

• Government financial packages are failing road transport: the sector will collapse without targeted action
• Road transport losses – goods and passenger – are now set to exceed USD 1 trillion globally in 2020 
• The very high default and insolvency risk identified in the sector will lead to mass bankruptcies

The global road transport industry works with international financial institutions, international organisation and governments and the road transport industry on the:

• Coordination of COVID-19 responses at global and cross-border level 
• Deployment of targeted financial support measures 
• Use of the digital tools that already exist including eTIR and e-CMR

For further information or to share recommendations, please contact us.

A round up of IRU open letters and responses by government and industry leaders

Open letters

• 20 January 2021 - Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission
• 23 November 2020 - Antonio Gutierres, United Nations
• 2 July 2020 - Next Generation EU: priority areas for road transport to drive recovery
• 4 May 2020 - Road transport industry call for action "Driving the recovery"
• 23 Apr 2020 - Open letter to G20 Employment Ministers from leaders of global industry organisations
• 23 Apr 2020 - IRU Croatian Presidency Letter - Call to support the continuity of the supply chains and mobility networks in post covid-19 de-confinement period
• 25 Mar 2020 - Basic continuity and survival of urban public transport and local mobility services in Europe
• 17 Mar 2020 - Coronavirus and its impact on supply chains and mobility network

Responses

• 14 December 2020 - Mauricio Claver-Carone, Inter-American Development Bank
• 11 December 2020 - Alicia Bárcena, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
• 11 December 2020 - Makhtar Diop, World Bank
• 10 December 2020 - Jin Liqun, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
• 9 December 2020 - Odile Renaud-Basso, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• 2 December 2020 - Woochong Um, Asian Development Bank
• 26 November 2020 - Young Tae Kim, Secretary General, International Transport Forum
• 26 November 2020 - Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States
• 19 June 2020 - Valdimir Norov, Shanghai Cooperation Organization
• 29 May 2020 - Angel Gurría, Secretary General, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
• 22 May 2020 - Asset Assavbayev, Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA
• 13 May 2020 - Alicia Bárcena, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
• 11 May 2020 - Hadi Soleimanpour, Secretary General, Economic Cooperation Organization
• 8 May 2020 - Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• 24 Apr 2020 - Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany
• 21 Apr 2020 - Sue Barrett, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• 16 Apr 2020 - Guy Rider, International Labour Office
• 3 Apr 2020 - Kunio Mikuriya, World Customs Organization