A new survey conducted in 9 EU Member States (FR, DE, BE, AT, IT, PL, HU, ES and RO) during April 2024 and published in May 2024 shows that Europeans share the concerns of the rail freight sector when it comes to the introduction of longer and heavier trucks (“gigaliners) on European roads. As representatives of national governments will gather in Brussels in the coming months to develop a position on the topic, it is important that the voice of concerned citizens is heard and amplified.
After receiving information on the characteristics of these vehicles, a majority considered the use of mega trucks to be negative, expressing concerns on the impact on road infrastructure, congestion, road safety and noise. 75% of the participants believe that the introduction of mega trucks could reduce transport of freight by rail and, in Member States where the transport of freight by rail is more established, 6 out of 10 citizens believed that those countries should not allow the circulation of mega trucks. 94% of the participants considered it important to promote intermodal transport as an alternative solution to the introduction of mega trucks, as this would greatly reduce congestion and safety risks.
UIP Secretary General Gilles Peterhans said “As studies have shown, opening the door to the cross-border traffic of longer and heavier trucks entails negative impacts with regards to road safety, infrastructure, and the general sustainability of European logistics. Adopting this new legal framework without major amendments would go directly against what the EU has stood for since 1992 and the first White Paper on Transport! This new survey shows that the European people understand what is at stake. We call on national governments to make the right decision, common sense must prevail.”
Please find the detailed survey results and a joint press release from the rail freight sector to the right of the page.