IRU’s TIR and Transit Director has urged Central Asian countries to accelerate the digitalisation of transport and trade to better manage the growing volumes of goods flowing through the region.

IRU members and the European Commission exchanged on legislation that can maximise the benefits offered by autonomous vehicles during a recent workshop on the EU’s AWARD project.

IRU welcomes the Council’s formal adoption of the revised Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive, which ends the legislative cycle following the previous formal endorsement of the negotiated deal by the European Parliament. Member States must now adhere to the commitments outlined in the legislation and prioritise mobility data sharing and availability.

With shifting trade routes increasing pressure on corridors crossing Central Asia and the Caucuses, IRU unpacked the challenges and solutions at a recent forum with the private and public sector.

Industry leaders and EU political figures have gathered in Brussels to explore future opportunities in digital technology for the road transport industry.

IRU members, transport companies, development organisations and financial institutions are gathering in Uzbekistan for a key regional conference on pressing transport and transit challenges and emerging opportunities.

While the European Commission is still considering the best option for an EU framework to govern multimodal digital mobility services (MDMS), the road passenger sector is calling for an overarching relinking system to connect MDMS platforms and transport operators, with clear obligations regarding the listing of transport options.

What is the future of digitalisation in EU commercial road transport, inside and outside the vehicle?

The recent TIR Executive Board (TIRExB) Friends of the Chair meeting in Uzbekistan focused on how to accelerate the digitalisation of the booming Middle Corridor with eTIR.

The UN has marked the 25th anniversary of the 1998 agreement on Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) as IRU continues to stress the need for harmonised road transport regulation in the face of new challenges and opportunities.

Schengen visas, digitalisation, decarbonisation and the TIR system topped the agenda today as IRU’s Secretary General and the President of IRU member the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) reviewed road transport facilitation challenges and opportunities.

The “3 Ds” facing our industry – driver shortages, decarbonisation and digitalisation – top this year’s agenda for IRU and the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

IRU welcomes the provisional agreement reached last week to increase the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS) on European roads. EU Member States must now include road transport data on their National Access Points by the end of 2025.

The Secretary General of IRU visited the increasingly congested Sarp-Sarpi border between Georgia and Türkiye ahead of his opening remarks at the BSEC-URTA General Assembly today.

Two new features have been added to the Intelligence Platform: fuel prices for compressed natural gas and an interactive map to view all driving restrictions along a trip.

IRU's Liaison Committee to Eurasia (CLEA) brought together members from across the region to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities facing transport and logistics.

IRU members have adopted new policy positions on immigration and driver shortages, autonomous vehicles, and a new crisis response charter.

IRU has published its annual report for 2022, looking at the organisation’s progress and achievements in a year when it had to deliver during challenging times.

Government and business in Central Asia can work together to streamline border crossings and better manage growing trade flows with tried-and-tested UN instruments and digitalisation.

IRU has welcomed the provisional agreement reached between the European Council, Commission and Parliament on the alternative fuels infrastructure regulation (AFIR). While the deal falls short on the level of ambition called for by IRU, it does increase the investment commitment of Member States.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its general approach on the Data Act. IRU has previously welcomed the text adopted by the European Parliament. But the Council’s version allows data holders to refuse users access to their own data. As with the Parliament’s text, IRU welcomes the clarification regarding vehicle users and third parties’ access to vehicle-generated data, as well as the additional limits on governments’ access to such data.

The European Parliament has adopted its position on the Data Act, the first EU industrial data rulebook, setting harmonised rules on accessing, sharing and using data generated by connected products, such as vehicles, and related services.

The Secretaries General of IRU and the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) have held high-level talks on evolving routes, intermodal transport and digitalisation.

IRU was involved in a wide range of activities at the UN’s 85th Inland Transport Committee (ITC) session this week, driving road transport forward with its members, governments and international organisations. It was a busy week in Geneva. Road transport actors from around the world were in town for the 85th ITC session, including delegations from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s 56 member states and far beyond.

IRU and the International Road Federation (IRF) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to reinforce their long-standing collaboration. Road transport operators, infrastructure providers, and users are essential in connecting people, businesses, and societies all over the world.

The Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), together with the UN and IRU, has led a workshop on e-CMR, as more countries from the region join the protocol. A recent workshop organised by OTS, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and IRU sought to raise awareness on e-CMR among public and private actors. The participants were also informed of the ongoing discussions at the UNECE’s GE.22, the Group of Experts on the Operationalisation of e-CMR.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have acceded to e-CMR, committing to fully paperless goods transport and reinforcing their transition from landlocked to landlinked countries. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, two countries at the heart of east-west and north-south trade, have acceded to the e-CMR protocol, which will further digitalise goods transport, boosting trade and connectivity.

IRU member the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has opened a new TIR office in Bandar Abbas. Iran has issued more TIR carnets than any other country over the past two years.

IRU welcomes the European Parliament’s move to expedite the discussions on the revision of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive, as the Transport Committee (TRAN) is mandated to enter trilogue negotiations. The Parliament’s proposal reflects IRU’s call for a pragmatic ITS framework, which would play an important role in establishing a European mobility data space.

Decarbonisation and digitalisation were on the agenda as the heads of IRU and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) met this week in Bangkok, Thailand.

As trade digitalisation gains ground in Asia, IRU has discussed the benefits of harmonised digital trade instruments with private and public representatives from Asia and Europe.

IRU welcomes the outcome of the vote by the European Parliament's Transport Committee (TRAN), which makes important data more accessible to transport operators and other road users. This sends a strong signal to accelerate digitalisation in road transport.

IRU has brought together regulators and industry leaders to exchange ideas, challenges and examples of implementing and advancing e-CMR solutions.

Members in IRU’s EU passenger, taxi and goods transport groups met in Brussels last week to debate and decide on new policy positions in three key areas.