Newsroom

IRU calls out global border chaos risk to SDGs at UN Sustainable Transport Conference

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has outlined major issues confronting cross-border road transport services that are risking pandemic recovery efforts, and longer-term achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

UN Forum backs road potential of key North-South Asian trade corridor

A key UN Forum on transport connectivity in Asia has heard evidence on the huge trade potential of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INTSC) connecting Russia to India via Iran and Azerbaijan.

Central Asia eyes digital TIR to ease border congestion

Current COVID border restrictions and post-pandemic economic growth are both driving an increased focus on making trade and transport more efficient and connected across the landlocked countries of Central Asia. 

Black Sea permits to double in boost to road transport and trade

Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) member states involved in the region’s truck transit permit system have agreed to significantly increase permit quotas for 2022.

TIR slashes 80% off transit time with new Pakistan-Iran-Turkey corridor

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has greeted the successful arrival of two trucks in Istanbul today, launching TIR along the important new Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) trade corridor.

Turkic Council signs agreement with IRU on digital trade tools

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto and Turkic Council Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost digital trade tools in the region.

IRU briefs 14 transport ministers on COVID, borders and trade

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has addressed 14 ministers of transport in a closed door round table session during the 12th Transport and Communication Forum, hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Transport. 

North-south trade in spotlight at TRANSTEC in St Petersburg

Russia and its role as a unique global trade and transport hub was again at the centre of the annual international transport corridors forum, TRANSTEC, in St Petersburg. 

Global transport chiefs urge UN to end humanitarian crisis for supply chain

Global road, air and sea organisations and unions have today called on the world’s heads of government gathering at this week’s UN General Assembly to end a ‘global humanitarian and supply chain crisis.’ In an open letter published on the day of UNGA’s General Debate in New York, IRU, the International Road Transport Union, IATA, the International Air Transport Association, ICS, the International Chamber of Shipping, and ITF, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, made an urgent plea

UN seeks IRU voice in key debate on transport resilience

Transport networks around the world, both logistics supply chains and passenger mobility services, are increasingly looking at how they can become more resilient to change, such as the impacts resulting from the current pandemic. 

United Arab Emirates signs up to digital TIR

The United Arab Emirates has become the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council region to move forward on digitalising the TIR system.

Asian Development Bank and IRU drive digital TIR for a key central Asian trade route

A joint IRU – Asian Development Bank (ABD) workshop took place last week to advance digital TIR for the Shymkent-Tashkent-Khujand Economic corridor (STKEC) connecting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and to expand digitalisation in transit to the whole region.

ASMAP and IRU steer debate on digitalisation in Russia and wider Eurasia

IRU and its Russian member, ASMAP, have co-hosted a panel session on digitalising the road transport industry at the 16th International Commercial Vehicle Show “COMTRANS”, in Moscow last week. Speakers from both the public and private sectors discussed the transition to paperless and contactless transit and customs operations.

IRU and ETF welcome new EU funding for safe and secure truck parking areas

IRU, the world road transport organisation, and ETF, Europe’s Transport Workers’ Federation, have welcomed the European Commission´s launch of a call for proposals to access €100 million in CEF funding to improve the network of safe and secure truck parking areas (SSTPAs) across the European Union.

IRU lays out Green Compact to support China decarbonisation efforts

Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has outlined IRU’s Green Compact, the commercial road transport sector’s decarbonisation roadmap, to high-level Chinese government and business figures. 

Road transport industry and EU institutions join forces to integrate migrant workforce

As the European economy begins to recover from the pandemic, mobility networks and supply chains continue to face an increasingly high shortage of qualified professional drivers, which has been a long standing problem for the road transport sector.

Road vs rail? Green logistics on Alpbach agenda

The Alpach Forum invited IRU last week to outline the road transport sector’s vision for green logistics in a session on decarbonising freight transport at the renowned annual Austrian event.

Torello joins IRU to drive action on key logistics industry issues

Leading European logistics company Torello has joined IRU as its newest corporate member. Founded in Italy in 1975, the firm today operates a fleet of more than 3,200 vehicles.