Newsroom

The General Assembly of IRU, the world road transport organisation, has unanimously re-elected Radu Dinescu as President along with new vice presidents and a new Presidential Executive. The 2025-2027 term will mark two significant firsts for women in commercial road transport.

The Parliament of Togo has unanimously endorsed a new transport law developed by IRU with the support of the World Bank. IRU, drawing on its global expertise, advised the Togolese government, transport operators and professional organisations on revamping the transport sector and improving its operation. These efforts, which were initiated in 2020 and supported by the World Bank, culminated into a new transport law adopted by the Parliament of Togo.

European social partners have called upon EU commissioners to ensure that social dialogue committees have the necessary financial and political support needed. In a joint letter to Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, IRU has joined forces with social partners representing 17 sectors to voice their concerns over the EU Commission’s proposal of multiyear, “project-based” financing for social dialogue committees.

IRU welcomes today’s European Parliament vote for an ambitious and comprehensive alternative fuels infrastructure regulation that would help decarbonise commercial road transport.

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has appointed Vincent Erard as Senior Director, Strategy and Development, of IRU, the world road transport organisation.

IRU member and global logistics firm DB Schenker has begun using TIR in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, saving time and CO2 emissions. 

IRU partner Middle East Logistics High Institute (MELI), a subsidiary of Almajdouie Group, has trained, assessed and certified over 4,000 truck drivers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by following and applying the standards set by IRU to ensure a high quality of service in the transport of dangerous good by road. 

IRU has helped international partners run a training workshop on trade and transport digitalisation tools eTIR and eCMR for Sub Saharan Africa, in Casablanca, Morocco.

IRU has met EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean at a crucial time in the development of important social, environmental and digitalisation files related to road transport.

IRU’s Secretary General has met a delegation from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss road transport and transit in Iran and in the region in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. 

Mongolian member association NARTAM has celebrated its 30 years of existence, championing road transport and trade in Mongolia and beyond.

IRU calls for improved access to data, better control of its use, and for cautious use of EU legislation when dealing with self-employed workers

EU transport ministers, meeting yesterday in Luxembourg, have significantly diluted proposals on deploying alternative fuels infrastructure. 

Erman Ereke has taken the reigns of IRU’s regional office in Istanbul, Turkey for the Black Sea region today.

Road transport operators and public transport authorities are jointly calling on the environmental committee of the European Parliament (ENVI) to support the extension of ETS, the Emissions Trading System, to road transport (ETS II) only if it is fit for purpose.

In line with Qatar’s 2030 National Vision for sustainable trade, it’s Ministry of Transport and Communications ran a successful workshop yesterday, in collaboration with IRU, focusing on road transport standards and best practices.

IRU has addressed a high-level Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) policy event on digitalisation and technology in the road transport sector. 

IRU has published its annual report for 2021, looking at the organisation’s progress and achievements in a year that saw a renewed focus on its vision.

Safety is the top priority for all transport operators, but safety is also the responsibility of everyone on the road. How can logistics firms drive safety improvements across the board? Meet our member Tristar, who is doing just that with its Quarterly Safety Meeting concept. 

IRU’s Liaison Committee to Eurasia (CLEA), promoting trade and transport between Europe and Asia, has elected a new board for the next three-year term. 

Leading voices in decarbonising EU road transport are urgently calling on EU Member States and the European Parliament to agree on ambitious targets for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The European Parliament’s TRAN (transport and tourism) Committee has voted against extending the Emission Trading System (ETS) to road transport and buildings.

The European road freight transport sector, including road goods transport operators, express delivery operators, freight forwarders and importers and exporters, call on Members of the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament to agree on the inclusion of road transport in the ETS

The Chamber of the Bulgarian Road Hauliers (CBRH) has become an IRU associate member.

IRU members from the European Union have adopted new positions and plans on behalf of the industry in three key areas: the driver profession, the Trans European Transport (TEN-T) Network and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

The EU reached two milestones in the application of the Mobility Package 1 on 2 and 21 February, when the new rules on the posting of drivers, access to the market and access to the profession become applicable in the 27 EU Member States. 

IRU calls for urgent government action on rising commercial road transport fuel prices, including capping fuel prices and cutting fuel taxation, to avert a wider economic crisis.

IRU’s General Assembly has unanimously re-elected Radu Dinescu as President for the coming three years, from 2022 to 2024, along with a new Presidential Executive, IRU’s governing board. 

IRU’s Annual Report 2020 is now available online. 

The explosion of a fuel tanker at the customs office of the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran has destroyed over 500 vehicles, leaving many injured, some fatally, and causing an estimated USD 40 million in damage.

Meeting virtually this week, IRU’s Presidential Executive (PE) reviewed progress in IRU’s strategic delivery in 2020, and looked towards 2021 with cautious optimism. PE members particularly welcomed IRU’s positive results in 2020, achieved despite the serious challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IRU is guiding efforts to formalise and professionalise the road transport industry in Togo through the creation of a national road transport federation.

Vadim Zakharenko officially takes over as IRU’s General Delegate in Moscow.

A coalition of transport and energy stakeholders has written to the European Commission voicing concerns about the way that DG GROW’s Advisory Group on Vehicle Emission Standards (AGVES) is planning the Euro 7/VII standard.

BSEC transport ministers met with IRU to discuss economic recovery from COVID-19 and the development of digital tools. How can transport digitalisation support the recovery? What other measures are needed?