Greening travel and tourism by doubling the use of buses and coaches

The 7th European Bus and Coach Forum, jointly organised by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the Belgian Federation of Bus and Coach operators (FBAA), the European Travel Agents? and tour operators? Associations (ECTAA) and the European Tour Operators? Association (ETOA), took place yesterday in Busworld Kortrijk, bringing together some 200 travel business leaders and EU officials.
The Forum focused on how policies can help achieve a legal and administrative framework that promotes and rewards tourists? and travellers? green mobility choices, as well as the travel industry?s contribution and best practices.
Isabelle Durant, Vice President of the European Parliament, insisted on the very positive contributions made by the bus and coach industry towards greener and more fuel-efficient travel, but also towards job creation in this and other sectors as well as towards affordable travel: ?The Union as well as Member States could and should do more to put an end to the discriminatory fiscal practices that unfairly disadvantage buses and coaches against other, more polluting, transport modes on the travel market.� This is obviously not a time for lower fuel levies, as this would send out the wrong signal to transporters and travellers alike, at a time when finite oil resources should be used more sparsely than ever, but it is time to recognise that the preferential tax regimes granted to competing transport modes hurt this vital industry and should be gradually phased out.?
?Besides economic incentives, more should be done to promote and support the advantages and merits of bus and coach travel over private cars and airplanes in terms of sustainable mobility and this kind of Forum is certainly a good place to start?, she added.
Forum participants concluded that government action should follow, or in many cases precede, the necessary change in the mindset and perception of buses and coaches in society. This includes rules and regulations such as sector-specific driving and rest time rules, fair VAT regime, appropriate weights and dimensions of vehicles, industry-friendly low-emission zones, incentives and sufficient public funding for collective passenger transport services by bus and coach, to name but a few.
Graham Smith, Vice President of the IRU, concluded, ?Since 90% of all European citizens? mobility and travel needs are realised below a 100 km distance, the most credible policy and customer transport solution is undoubtedly the bus and the coach. Only by placing buses and coaches at the heart of policy making and by setting a clear political strategy and business target to double their use can policy-makers at EU, national, regional and local level create a legislative, market and operational environment conducive to produce a shift in the behaviour of customers and tourists. In short, only bus and coach transport offers the possibility to achieve inclusive, efficient, affordable and sustainable mobility for European citizens and visitors, at the lowest cost to society.?
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement

Finland Lapland holidays Lapland skiing holidays Travel