COVID border chaos, Brexit, decarbonisation, and more

Put a stop to border chaos ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ No images? Click here   New mandatory driver COVID-19 tests imposed by Germany are being copied by neighbouring countries in a chain reaction that is blocking borders, breaking supply chains and bringing misery to truck drivers who are just trying to do their job. All over the world, road transport plays a crucial role in fighting the pandemic, supplying supermarkets, hospitals and factories. Isolated in their cabin, truck drivers are not exposed to the virus. Letting drivers do their job and continue across the border is the safest solution for all. UMBERTO DE PRETTO IRU Secretary General     IRU urges governments to keep goods moving amidst new COVID-19 restrictions New measures imposed by Germany, followed by Tyrol (Austria), the Czech Republic and others are beginning to cause chaos to goods transport by road across Europe. IRU had already warned of such a damaging chain reaction in new border controls in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month, calling for immediate action to stop EU countries restricting the movement of goods and breaking their previous commitments on green lanes.  IRU’s global position on border closures, and its COVID-19 call to action, have received support from UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a letter to IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto.     Polish haulier demonstrates TIR as solution for Brexit customs woes A special shipment of essential medical supplies from Poland has arrived in the UK by truck, promoting the TIR system to firms who continue to struggle with Brexit paperwork, delays and a shortage of customs brokers and transit guarantees.  IRU also organised a series of webinars last week on the increasing interest in TIR as a solution to the new UK-EU customs border. If you missed them, you can watch them on-line.     IRU lays out Eco-truck plan to accelerate decarbonisation IRU has renewed calls to promote the use of Eco-trucks to boost transport decarbonisation, including harmonising rules for cross-border operations.  This simple and cost effective measure could cut CO2 emissions by more than 13 billion tonnes between now and 2050. Read more     Tragedy at Afghan-Iranian border highlights importance of international standards The explosion of a fuel tanker at the customs office of the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran has destroyed over 500 vehicles, highlighting the importance of following strict safety standards and reducing congestion at borders. Read more       IRU member stories IRU puts taxi plight in the spotlight With the support of its members, IRU has launched a social media campaign, support4taxi, to raise awareness of the serious issues faced by taxi operators due to lockdowns and other COVID-19 restrictions. Read more       IRU welcomes new member       Would you like to receive more news related to industry issues, trade & transit or certification? Update your preferences       IRU La Voie Creuse 16 1211 Geneva Switzerland You receive this communication because you, or someone with whom you have business dealings, have registered or given to IRU your email address for registration purposes into our contact database. International Road Transport Union (“IRU”) is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the applicable data protection rules, in particular the Swiss data protection act (“SDPA”) and, to extent applicable the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/79 (“GDPR”). For that purpose, IRU has developed a Global Privacy Policy (“GPP”), which provides the legally required information relating to IRU processing activities of personal data and where you can obtain detailed information on the processing of your personal data. View privacy policy.   Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe