Truck traffic in Upper Austria: alarming growth and security risks!

Truck traffic in Upper Austria: alarming growth and security risks!

Krenglbach, Österreich - Upper Austria is the focus of traffic safety! According to the Austria Verkehrsclub (VCÖ), truck traffic through the region has increased in critical areas, despite a slight decline at 33 out of 43 counting points. The A7, A9 and S10 are particularly affected, where the number of trucks passed has risen. In Krenglbach, four million trucks passed the road, while Niederndorf was not far behind with 3.7 million. The A25 at Marchtrenk also has to deal with 3.7 million heavy traffic.

In order to minimize the dangers that are from this heavy traffic, the VCÖ demands increased controls, inspired by the rigorous measures in Switzerland. Technical defects and uncertain practices among truck drivers represent a significant security risk. In addition, it is required to shift freight traffic to the rails, which must go hand in hand with additional financial and infrastructural investments. The VCÖ suggests raising a higher toll surcharge in order to support the financing of these necessary projects and thus make the traffic Situation more sustainable.

urgent need for action in freight transport

Austria faces a decisive challenge: the country should become climate -neutral by 2040. However, freight transport has more than doubled since 1990 and now causes 36 percent of the transport expenditure. Since 2015, the truck transit has increased by a third, which further fueled air pollution and CO2 emissions, as the study of the state of Tyrol shows. Around 800,000 trucks cross Tyrol every year, often over the cost -effective transit routes, which causes high social costs for the country that are not charged to the cause.

This situation is unacceptable for the general public. The VCÖ emphasizes that not only truck controls are necessary to ensure security and fair competition, but also a fair handling of the external costs of traffic. On average, trucks cause 17 times more CO2 per transported bin than the train. In order to promote the change to more sustainable rail transport, fair competitive conditions must be created. This includes a stricter crediting of the external costs and the most uniform regulation of rail traffic at the EU level in order to increase efficiency and to avoid loss of time by changing the locomotive. A plan that is supposed to secure both environmental protection and the future of transportation in Austria is urgently necessary, according to the VCÖ.