Newsroom

The Convenience Express initiative shows how digitalisation, flexible services and coordinated branding can modernise intercity coach transport. Passenger numbers have risen significantly, with some routes increasing more than tenfold. Even some previously discontinued routes have been revived.

The world road transport organisation distances itself from any claims or attempts to suggest that there is a unified position among road transport operators across the EU calling for EU-level intervention on subcontracting.

IRU brought the perspective of the coach and bus sector to the CIVITAS Forum 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, highlighting the need for coordinated urban access rules, investment in infrastructure and modernised skills to make urban mobility more sustainable, inclusive and connected.

Connectivity, innovation and partnerships were on the agenda this week for IRU Secretary General Habib Turki. His series of high-level events and bilateral meetings with Chinese authorities, transport companies and IRU members has set the course for the next decade of international road transport cooperation.

Speaking at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2026 in Beijing, IRU outlined how buses and trucks, trade facilitation measures, and technology-neutral decarbonisation help make transport universally accessible.

The Swedish Bus Driver Championship, organised annually by IRU member the Swedish Bus & Coach Federation (Sveriges Bussföretag), has long been an opportunity to recognise the skill and professionalism behind bus driving.

Belgian innovation goes beyond chocolate. Through a series of initiatives led by IRU member the Belgian Federation of Bus and Coach Operators (FBAA), the sector is helping destinations manage visitor flows, improve accessibility and develop new tourism products.

Artificial intelligence, automation and greater connectivity can help road transport respond to major challenges. But successful deployment will depend on common standards, trusted governance and keeping people at the centre, IRU President Radu Dinescu told transport leaders in Seoul.

IRU’s Commission on Innovation and Technology (CIT) brought together members and industry experts in Brussels to exchange views on the technologies, regulatory developments and practical challenges shaping the future of commercial road transport.

IRU’s Commission on Social Affairs has laid out its priorities for the year ahead on key social policy areas, including driver shortage, compliance and expanding workforce diversity.

While Brent is still below its spring peak, the other cost components of diesel are on the rise. National measures are still in place in most of the EU, but they are being tapered rather than deepened, with limited impact on prices at the pump. Here’s the latest overview for the road transport sector.

The shortage of drivers is a major constraint on the industry, with implications extending far beyond road transport. Local recruitment efforts must be accompanied by legal driver mobility pathways, IRU said at the Budapest Process meeting on legal pathways for migration in Islamabad, Pakistan, this week.

Road transport operators need effective access to the data generated by the vehicles they own, lease and operate. But how can this be achieved while protecting manufacturers’ intellectual property and maintaining cybersecurity and vehicle safety?

IRU has launched a new practical toolkit to help road transport companies unlock its largest untapped recruitment pool.

IRU and the European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA) are urging the Irish Presidency and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to fix key provisions in the Industrial Accelerator Act's proposed “Buy European” rules for electric vehicles. They warn that the current approach risks forcing working electric buses off the road and penalising public transport operators and authorities that bought them in good faith.

One of the greatest strengths of coach tourism is its ability to connect travellers with places that other transport modes often cannot reach. While rail and aviation naturally concentrate passengers around major hubs, coaches provide the flexibility to reach smaller towns, rural communities and cultural routes, spreading the benefits of tourism more evenly.

The European Commission’s proposal for a new Public Procurement Regulation is a significant step towards quality-based competition, but further improvements are needed to ensure fair and competitive public procurement for road transport.

Affordable, accessible and sustainable transport helps more people discover more places. Spain's Verano Joven programme shows what is possible when public policy and a strong coach network work together.

IRU and T&E are calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to launch a strategic dialogue on heavy-duty vehicle decarbonisation, as key EU rules head for review and rising energy and cost pressures add urgency to getting the transition right.

A beautiful landscape, a historic town or a unique visitor attraction does not automatically attract coach groups. What does? We asked Anna Grönlund, Deputy Managing Director of the Swedish Bus and Coach Federation (Sveriges Bussföretag) and Vice President of IRU.

Europe is redefining the future of tourism. The forthcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy is an opportunity to build a tourism model that is greener, more resilient, more inclusive and more beneficial for local communities. Achieving these ambitions will require looking beyond traditional assumptions and recognising the transport solutions that are already delivering tangible results.

A new EU-supported project aims to address acute road transport labour shortages by testing safe, legal labour mobility pathways for trained and certified professional drivers between non-EU talent partnership countries and the EU.

Jaime Rodríguez, Director of IRU member CONFEBUS, says the shortage of bus and coach drivers is becoming increasingly visible. While the challenges vary across different segments, addressing them will require smarter policies, better promoting the profession, and measures that help attract and retain drivers.

At the time of IRU’s last fuel prices update, two weeks ago, road transport operators might have thought the worst was behind them. Today, volatility has returned in both crude supply and diesel price dynamics. Government support measures however are not keeping up.

IRU welcomes the Commission’s recognition of road transport as one of the key sectors in its Electrification Action Plan, which is an important step towards creating the conditions needed for operators to invest in electric vehicles.

As of 3 July 2026, crude relief has arrived before pump relief. Brent reached USD 72.49 a barrel on 3 July, putting it 0.7% below the 27 February baseline. But the EU weighted diesel average rose to EUR 1.766 per litre, 8.1% above the baseline, as Germany and Spain let key fuel-tax relief lapse on 30 June. US diesel is still USD 1.282 per litre, 25.5% above the baseline. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

IRU welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on targeted amendments to the Eurovignette Directive as an important step towards greater legal clarity on CO₂-based road charging for heavy-duty vehicles across the EU.

A major regulatory shift began on 1 July for Europe’s van sector: cross-border light commercial vehicles (LCVs) above 2.5 tonnes must now comply with EU rules on driving and rest times, mandatory smart tachographs and driver posting. This means equipping vehicles with tachographs and adapting to entirely new compliance requirements affecting drivers and day-to-day operations.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the road passenger transport workforce, especially as drivers. At the launch of UN Tourism’s first global study on women in tourism transport, IRU outlined practical ways to attract and retain more women workers in bus and coach operations.

IRU’s latest global driver shortage report finds that recruitment difficulties are worsening, with the shortage topping operators’ concerns across most surveyed markets.

IRU takes note of the Council’s agreed negotiating position on the grids package as an important step towards strengthening the EU’s energy infrastructure to support electrification and decarbonisation.

A harmonised EU-wide approach to mandatory security updates for tachographs is needed, with legal certainty, equal treatment of operators, and consistent implementation across the bloc.

How has IRU changed over the past 30 years? This was the question we put to IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto as he prepares to hand over to his successor.

IRU underscored the need for clearer and more practical labour mobility pathways for professional drivers between North Africa and the EU at a recent labour mobility workshop with the private sector, policymakers and labour mobility experts in Turin, Italy.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are one of the most practical ways for cities to improve mobility without building a full rail system. They use buses but come with advantages often associated with rail.