ESTA has been invited to join the advisory board of an influential European research project aimed at modernising road freight movements across Europe in another sign of the increasing awareness of the importance of heavy and abnormal transport to Europe’s economy.
The project, called Intelligent Access (IA) for Freight, is being carried out for CEDR, the Conference of European Directors of Roads, whose members include the national road authorities from 25 European countries.
The CEDR is funded by the national road authorities but is highly respected and exercises great influence over European Commission policies.
The IA project is designed to transform how heavy freight vehicles use Europe’s road network by exploiting real‑time vehicle data – such as location, weight, dimensions, and performance – to dynamically manage access to particular road segments.
By leveraging the real-time data, it aims to optimise infrastructure use, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce environmental impact, and facilitate seamless cross-border freight movement.
One project manager described it as trying to ensure that “the right vehicle with the right cargo operates on the right road at the right time” so improving industry efficiency and safety.
The project is timed to complement and support the proposed revisions to the EU’s Weights and Dimensions Directive that is currently making its way through the regulatory process.
These include measures long supported by ESTA such as a ‘one stop shop’ per country for permits, standardised permit application forms, use of electronic permits and harmonisation of escorting rules and vehicle markings.
ESTA Director Ton Klijn said: “We are delighted to be involved in this CEDR project and to ensure that the needs of Europe’s heavy and abnormal transport operators are heard and understood.
“Of course, while the increasing profile of heavy and abnormal transport is very welcome, the measure of success will be the successful introduction of practical measures that make a real difference to our members’ daily work.”