IRU welcomes the new EU Passenger Mobility Package to improve passenger rights across all transport modes. But many bus and coach operators will struggle to cope with a heavy additional burden on their IT and digital system resources.

Industry leaders, the United Nations and civil society are coming together today to celebrate the first ever World Sustainable Transport Day, officially marked on 26 November.

The European Parliament's plenary vote on CO₂ emission targets for heavy-duty vehicles today sets unrealistic targets for zero-emission vehicles, feebly tries to factor the role of carbon neutral fuels in decarbonisation, and attempts to bring the EU transport sector in line with totalitarian regimes by mandating purchase targets for transport operators.

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) adopted today the compromise amendments tabled by its lead rapporteur on driving and rest time rules for coach drivers.

Ahead of Thursday’s vote in the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN), IRU urges MEPs to vote in support of the compromise amendments tabled by TRAN’s lead rapporteur on driving and rest time rules for coach drivers, making the much-needed distinction from rules set for truck drivers.

IRU and EU Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit met to discuss the recruitment, employment and integration practices for third-country drivers in the EU.

Ahead of the critical vote in the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, the European tourism sector calls on MEPs to support the driving and rest time rules for coach drivers proposed by the Commission and Transport Committee’s lead rapporteur.

Following joint IRU-Hellenic Federation of Road Transport (OFAE) advocacy and e-CMR trials, the Greek government has joined the e-CMR Protocol.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, outlined the sector’s critical role in fostering a circular economy as it marked its 75th anniversary with its members and partners from the region at Saudi Arabia’s Supply Chain and Logistics Conference.

SAPTCO Academy has selected the IRU RoadMasters passenger transport programme to elevate safety and customer service across Saudi Arabia’s emerging shared mobility network.

IRU members have debated and adopted two policy positions: weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles and greenhouse gas emission accounting (CountEmissions EU).

IRU and a number of national transport associations have once again called on the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to set a new round of negotiations between Germany, Italy and Austria to find a solution to the Brenner impasse.

IRU Academy Associate Training Institutes from 20 countries have stressed the importance of strengthening professional qualification standards to help mitigate driver shortages during their recent e-meeting.

IRU’s 2023 driver shortage report found that unfilled bus and coach driver positions are on the rise in Europe. It’s forecast to get much worse over the next five years without significant action.

IRU will be at Busworld Europe, unpacking the latest trends and regulations on decarbonisation, driver shortages and rest time rules in the road passenger transport sector.

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto and H.E. Engineer Hamad Essa Abdulla, Qatar’s Ministry of Transport Acting Assistance Undersecretary for Land Transport Affairs, held high-level talks in Geneva on key road transport challenges.

IRU welcomes the adoption of the Councils’ general approach on Euro 7. This followed repeated calls from IRU and the road transport sector to establish a more pragmatic approach to emission standards, better balancing overall costs and benefits.

IRU welcomes the vote in the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) on new CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, setting a realistic pace for road transport decarbonisation and preserving essential technology options, which will include electric-battery, hydrogen fuel cell and combustion engines based on carbon-neutral fuels or hydrogen, in line with the sector’s needs and calls.

IRU, FIA Region I and ACEA unequivocally oppose the splitting of the B driving licence for cars into two categories, as proposed by the European Parliament’s draft report on the EU Driving Licence Directive.

In a letter to EU legislators, IRU and CLEPA call for the preservation of essential technology options under the new CO₂ standards proposal. An open-technology approach is required to decarbonise road transport while continuing to effectively meet the needs of EU citizens, businesses and economies.

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

IRU is working with members and partners following Friday’s devastating earthquake in Morocco to help support rescue and relief efforts.

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

Starting today, the new smart tachograph version 2 (SMT2) is mandatory for all newly registered commercial heavy-duty vehicles. But given the delays in the availability of SMT2 devices, IRU is asking the European Commission to recommend that Member States provide a grace period until the end of 2023 to prevent the blockage of tens of thousands of new trucks and coaches.

The latest UAE National Dialogue for Climate Ambition, focused on mobility, took place this week in Abu Dhabi. IRU outlined key scenarios to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions in commercial road transport.

Brussels, 20 July 2023 – Members of three key European Parliament committees, IMCO, ITRE and TRAN, have voted for pragmatism in adopting Euro 7 compromise amendments.

Today’s European Parliament vote will help to preserve the free movement of people and goods in the EU in the event of future emergencies. Restrictions on mobility and logistics services must be avoided at all costs.

There are plenty of proposed legislative and technological solutions to reduce road vehicle emissions. The EU-funded MODALES project took a different approach: it focused on driver behaviour. The results are now in.

Members of the European Parliament endorsed new EU rules on alternative fuels infrastructure regulation (AFIR) today. But the agreed regulation, based on a compromise reached during the negotiations, does not meet the level of ambition sought by the industry.

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.

IRU members have agreed on new positions to tackle driver shortages, decarbonise realistically, and give coach drivers’ rest time rules suited to their responsibilities.

Public and private road transport organisations and vehicle manufacturers are calling on the EU to acknowledge the differences between urban and interurban buses and set realistic decarbonisation targets for regional buses.

EU authorities, government ministers and industry leaders debated digitalisation, decarbonisation and road transport beyond 2040 at IRU’s special anniversary event celebrating 50 years of representation to the EU.

IRU is celebrating 50 years of representation to the EU today with a special anniversary event featuring EU authorities, government ministers and industry leaders who will debate the past, present and future of road transport.