POLIS-IRU Pledge on Coach Transport

POLIS and the International Road Transport Union (IRU) invite their members and other stakeholders to sign up to the Stakeholders’ Pledge to enhance collective mobility in cities’ for coach travel in, around and between European cities.

In signing the Pledge, stakeholders commit to action according to mutually agreed principles, including:

• Integration of incoming coach traffic in sustainable urban mobility plans including coach access plans as distinct from urban freight plans (SULPs).
• Specific access and traffic rules for coaches, including differentiated parking solutions, routing, amenities for drivers, alternative fuelling and charging infrastructure.
• Impact assessment of the routing, parking and access regulations that apply to coaches
• Consultation between the local and international coach sector and cities/metropolitan areas
• Technology neutral conditions for the access of coaches to cities provided coaches comply with local emissions requirements
• Communication and notification of coach access strategies and measures properly communicated to all stakeholders
• Harmonisation of document recognition to ensure that all official documents issued by an authorised public or private body to certify vehicle compliance or conformity with EU or national standards should be recognised by the enforcement authorities of all other EU Member States
• Single window for information in which information about new and existing schemes, the related administrative procedures and the transition periods should be available in a standardised, multilingual format via an “EU single window”.

Karen Vancluysen, POLIS Network Secretary General, said, “Cities are at the start of integrating coach in the urban mobility system. It reminds me of how we were looking at urban freight management a decade ago – leading currently to mature planning and operational solutions. POLIS is convinced that cooperation is key, and that is why we sign up to this pledge and invite other to join the process!”

Raluca Marian, IRU General Delegate of the Permanent Delegation to the European Union, said: “Like buses, tourist coaches are a form of collective mobility that help to combat air quality and congestion issues in cities. IRU is extremely pleased to sign the Pledge on the urban vehicle access regulations for coach travel alongside POLIS.”

All stakeholders interested in signing the pledge can contact Ivo Cré.