Weights and Dimensions Directive should ensure a level playing between the modes of transport

UNIFE has co-signed a letter with a range of rail and freight industry representatives, to raise concerns about changes up for Plenary vote today in the European Parliament.

The Weight Dimensions Directive seeks to increase freight weight loads for trucks across Europe. If there is an outcome for the directive as is, it is set to have serious repercussions for emissions and safety in the freight sector.

UNIFE, CER, ERFA, UIRR, UIP, Alpine International, CIPRA International and the European Transport Safety Council have come together to co-sign the letter, in order to express concerns about the outcomes of the directive in its current form.

If the vote in Plenary is passed and left without amendment, it will mean more emissions, bigger trucks on European roads and missing an incredible opportunity to green Europe’s freight network. It will also mean more freight will be carried on roads, which creates a serious risk of creating a reverse modal shift.

This letter has been sent to representatives and Members of the European Parliament ahead of this vote, to clarify to them what is at stake.

Without further amendments, the proposal risks harming European citizens in several ways. It will fail to capture the full impact on the freight sector as a whole and the objective of promoting decarbonisation, reducing harmful emissions and preserving high safety standards in transport.

These are the indisputable facts about rail freight, which UNIFE believes the current state of the directive ignores:
- Rail is 0.4% of Europe’s total transport greenhouse gas emissions.
- Rail freight emits 80% less CO2 and consumes six times less energy than road freight.

The full letter can be read at the link here.