Technical assistance

A trusted partner for governments and funders

IRU has decades of experience in helping governments reform, develop and support their road transport sectors to advance safety, sustainability, economic and social prosperity.

IRU partners with international donors, development banks and governments to design and deliver technical assistance projects that formalise, facilitate and decarbonise mobility and logistics, supporting sustainable social and economic development.

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Reforming your road transport sector brings huge benefits

Road transport connects people to jobs and services, links production to markets, and provides the flexibility no other mode can match: door-to-door, first-mile and last-mile delivery.

Reform of the sector delivers results that matter well beyond transport: viable route to regional and global markets, safer roads, lower trade costs, stronger institutions, more formal employment, and measurable progress against climate and inclusion targets. Road transport in fact underpins every UN Sustainable Development Goal.

IRU technical assistance helps design and deliver reform and development projects to achieve effective results and long-term impact.

One partner across the full reform pathway

IRU's technical assistance is grounded in the IRU–World Bank Road Transport Services Reform Guide, the world's only comprehensive, step-by-step guide for governments and authorities to diagnose sector issues and define a credible path to reform.

The Guide offers a customised menu of reform areas to build a full project, including market structure and access, social and workforce rules, driver training and certification, finance and insurance, enforcement and vehicle standards, and decarbonisation policy and incentives.

Structure your project

IRU's technical assistance portfolio is modular, built around three pillars that together deliver safer, more efficient and greener mobility and logistics.

A long track record

IRU is active in every region where road transport reform can unlock development.

Here is  a selection of recent and ongoing development and technical assistance projects:

• Modernising Road Transport (EU-INTPA)
• Skilled driver mobility for Europe (ICMPD/MPF)
• Formalising and professionalising the road transport sector in Togo (World Bank)
• Professionalisation framework in Benin (MCC)
• TIR implementation in Mauritania and Senegal (ITFC) (no link yet for this project, but will come soon)

Why work with IRU?

Unique public/private perspective
A global not-for-profit organisation bridging public and private sectors to identify and roll out solutions.

Proven experience
80+ years of on the ground experience and knowledge, with an in-depth understanding of problems and solutions, and a proven ability to scale up positive change effectively through private sector networks.

Official UN status
Observer status in major UN bodies, representing the road transport industry; mandated by the UN to administer the TIR system under the UN convention.

Partnerships with global and regional multilateral bodies
Existing partnerships with the ILO, UNECE and other UN bodies; ITF/OECD; the European Union, EEC, ECO, BSEC, OAS and other regional bodies.

Strong global member and partner network 
Extended expertise and delivery potential, with local experts in 100+ countries across all global regions.

Recognised international standards — experience developing and implementing global standards and solutions, such as ADR (dangerous goods), CMR ( consignment notes) and TIR (customs transit)

Our partners

IRU works with a wide range of funding and development partners, including:

What does working with IRU involve?

IRU offers expertise, strategic advice and diagnosis skills, capacity building, guidelines, tools and other solutions that can be combined and tailored into technical assistance projects to help governments and funders.

IRU can support all stages of a project cycle – diagnostics, project design, implementation, capacity building and evaluation.