Requirements on transport systems are changing very rapidly around the world. It will be particular important to meet these requirements within theoverall goal of sustainability. A sustainable transport system ensures animproved material standard of living in terms of economic wealth, improves the general quality of life in terms of ecological liability, and sharesthe benefit of transport equitably among all sections of the community interms of social fairness. Over the past years sustainability has already been discussed in that context. Many countries have already included the goal of sustainability in their planning, construction, operation and maintenance of roads. In particular, the idea of a comprehensive transport planning, including all modes of transport from the beginning of the process, is most promising. But there are many requirements still to be tackled on the route to an environmentally respectful and socially just development. This report gives an overview on the questions that will most definitely challenge the transport sector in the future, such as on economic globalisation, demographic changes and measures to mitigate the expected climate change. Economic relations are changing very rapidly around the world. Various regions undergo a fast development process which is connected to economic growth and increasing trade relations. Intensive competition and a globally open market leads to a relocation of production sites and, thus, to new traffic flows around the world. The report deals with some promising solutions such as the focus of some few strategic corridors without forgetting the impacts of such a concentration in funding and further requirementsemerge from that development. In many states of the world demographic changes emerge which will have influence on the transport infrastructure. Some of the industrial countries report a need to cope with the structural changes in the society such as the ageing process. On the other hand the world is facing major migration streams and high birth-rates in developing countries. The impact of such a development on transport systems is discussed in this report, identifying a number of questions for future discussions. Last but not least, climate change has reached a new status in public awareness all over the world. The issue of carbon dioxide reduction is already a major aspect of an environmental sustainability. The road transport sector also needs to contribute to that goal. This report starts a discussion on the kind of that contribution, e.g. technical and monetary measures as well as traffic management and user behavioural aspects. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.
Samenvatting