A new study funded by the European Commission seeks to identify a major weakness in the road transport sector: the severe lack of safe and secure parking spaces.
The study comes in direct response to concerns long expressed by IRU and its members, who have consistently highlighted the inadequacy of existing safe parking facilities.
Survey responses, collected directly from professional drivers and road passenger and freight operators who face these challenges every day, will map existing infrastructure and identify locations most in need of new facilities.
The IRU encourages its members and the road transport community to participate in the survey, which is available in several languages.
Experiences and suggestions on the ground will help drive the development of better and safer parking areas for all professional drivers in the EU.
ITU members, including DB Schenker, shared the survey with tens of thousands of transport operators.
The lack of adequate rest areas poses a major threat to the well-being, safety and efficiency of professional drivers on EU roads. It is also one of the main reasons behind the shortage of drivers, especially long-haul drivers.
In 2022, the EU will release €750 million, distributed equally over three years, to build safe truck parking facilities.
The latest call for proposals has significantly improved the eligibility criteria. This has resulted in a more flexible call for funding for safe and secure parking spaces covering a wider geographical area, as called for by the ITU. A new call for proposals is expected to be launched in September 2024.
As the Connecting Europe Facility budget for truck parking for this financial period will expire in 2024, with the final call expected to be made this autumn, the ITU is counting on the incoming EU political leadership to ensure continued funding for this important area for the well-being of professional drivers.
