ESTA is stepping up its pressure on European regulators and national governments to harmonize and streamline permitting processes for abnormal loads and to coordinate the introduction of new electronic permitting systems.
ESTA Director Ton Klijn will be raising the issue at April’s meeting of the so-called “Viking” group of transport authorities and regulators in Berlin. Officially called NEXT-ITS 3, the European Union- funded group is coordinated by the Swedish Transport Authority and includes representatives from Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden.
Its role is to study how technology can improve the performance and efficiency of road transport with a particular focus on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor.
Ton Klijn said: “This is another example of how we have to take every opportunity to try and bring Europe together for the benefit of all of us. There is absolutely no reason at all why every European state should develop its own electronic permitting system. It is a huge waste of time and money.”