Skip to main content

Cutting private vehicle travel will boost Austria economy, says VCÖ

Austrian transport club VCÖ has called for the number of kilometres travelled in private vehicles to be reduced by 55% by 2050 to cut time lost by goods transporters in traffic jams - said by VCÖ to be costing the Austrian economy US$5.23 billion (€4 billion) a year. According to VCÖ spokesperson Christian Gratzer, non-passenger transporters must be able to complete their journeys on time in order to improve competitiveness. Gratzer said the 55% reduction in private vehicle journey distance was particular
June 5, 2013 Read time: 1 min
Austrian transport club VCÖ has called for the number of kilometres travelled in private vehicles to be reduced by 55% by 2050 to cut time lost by goods transporters in traffic jams - said by VCÖ to be costing the Austrian economy US$5.23 billion (€4 billion) a year.

According to VCÖ spokesperson Christian Gratzer, non-passenger transporters must be able to complete their journeys on time in order to improve competitiveness.  Gratzer said the 55% reduction in private vehicle journey distance was particularly necessary for journeys in cities. Measures such as a toll charge for cities, encouraging car sharing and improving public transport provision should be taken to reach this goal, said VCÖ. Through the reduction in private transport, said VCÖ, Austria would also meet the 1116 European Union's climate and energy targets of a 77% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rebuilding a historic bridge linking the US and Canada
    March 8, 2016
    While many road authorities in North America are finding it difficult to stretch their bridge assets beyond half a century, one bridge is closing in on its centenary - David Arminas reports The international Peace Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of New York, is 88 years young this year, and still going strong.
  • Europe calls for new road safety target
    September 9, 2015
    The European Parliament has reiterated calls for a pan-European target to cut serious road injuries. In a vote on a review of European transport policy since 2011, MEPs called for, “the swift adoption of a 2020 target of a 40 % reduction in the number of people seriously injured, accompanied by a fully-fledged EU strategy.” Since 2010 the number of people seriously injured on EU roads has been reduced by just 1.6%, compared to an 18% decrease in the number of road deaths. Last year the numbers actually
  • Young Driver Risk
    April 16, 2018
    Police in the US state of Ohio recently found themselves in a high-speed pursuit involving a vehicle taken without its owner’s consent. The chase lasted for around one hour and the vehicle hit speeds of up to 160km/h during the pursuit, which covered a distance of around 72km in all between Cleveland and Milan. Officers managed to box the car in and bring it to a halt, without anyone being injured. The driver was a 10-year-old boy who took his mother’s car, the second time that the lad had done this in just
  • Alberta eyes La Crete Ferry replacement
    September 2, 2020
    The Canadian province is considering a toll bridge over the Peace River.