This paper has been produced as part of the TRKC (Transport Research Knowledge Centre) project of the Sixth Framework Programme. The role of TRKC, as its predecessor project EXTR@Web, is to collect, structure, analyse and disseminate transport research results. TRKC provides comprehensive coverage of transport research in EU programme as well as key research activities at national level within the European Research Area and selected global programmes. The paper is one of the thematic research summaries (TRS). The TRSs aim at providing a synthesis of research results and policy implications from completed projects. Each TRS deals with a theme according to the classification which the TRKC project has adopted. The theme of this TRS is “road transport”. The first part of the paper includes a brief analysis of the scope of the theme, and a policy review where the main policy developments at EU level are summarised. The road transport theme deals is very wide ranging and overlaps with numerous other themes. The focus of research covered in this paper is on road infrastructure planning and operation, road vehicles and road use (including driving). Walking and cycling is also included in the road transport theme. Policy developments at EU level have traditionally been related to the competitiveness and efficiency of road transport; connectivity, accessibility and quality of road transport; road safety and environmental effects of road transport. The second part includes a synthesis of the main findings and policy implications from research projects and is concluded with an overview of the implications for further research. The research projects synthesised are EU-funded projects, from the Fifth and the Sixth Framework Programmes, that have results publicly available. Projects that had been synthesised in the related paper produced within the predecessor project EXTR@Web are briefly summarised. Four sub-themes are considered in the synthesis. (Author/publisher)
Abstract