Drawing up accounts
and making recommendations for transport policy
Policy recommendations
The essence: 41 propositions for sustainable transport policy
Looking back
NRP 41 demonstrates both scientific advances and successful practical implementation. It provides a whole range of building blocks for a sustainable transport policy at the start of the 21st century. 41 propositions summarise the most important recommendations of NRP 41.
The scientific Global Synthesis of NRP 41S8 has shown that the particular strengths of the programme lie in the close linkage of many projects with European research, and in the consistent emphasis on applied, solution-oriented and therefore often interdisciplinary research.
The NRP 41 was not alone in these activities. Other institutions such as roads research agencies invest far more funds in applied research. Nevertheless, the NRP 41 successfully tackled some new topics:
- putting the term "sustainability" into concrete terms through criteria and indicators, and their application in various sectors
- the political dimension of transport, especially questions of public acceptance
- interactions with Europe, for example transport planning, political, legislative and economic interdependence
- leisure traffic and aviation, two of the segments with greatest growth, yet still the Cinderellas of research
- combined mobility, i.e. the flexible use of several modes of transport for both passengers and freight
- the analysis of new technologies from various perspectives, especially social ones
In accordance with the National Research Programme's mandate, implementation and application - and thus also the requirements of the target groups - were given high priority in the individual projects.
Numerous examples have already demonstrated the success of the NRP 41. At their first meetings, for example, the Transport and Traffic Committees of the newly elected parliament were presented with what the NRP 41 considers to be legislative possibilities.M18 Several federal agencies and cantons adopted the proposed indicator system for sustainable transport and developed it further. Holiday resorts used the appropriate NRP 41 guidelines to launch traffic-calming projects. In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, too, the providers of combined mobility assimilated the new concepts of NRP 41. Many fields of federal policy are also based on the analyses of NRP 41, such as the new Sectoral Plan for Railways.
This document shows the areas in which NRP 41 results could flow into policy work. At the conclusion of the programme the NRP 41 Global SynthesisS8 outlined eight priorities for action, which are particularly important for a sustainable transport policy - and elsewhere - and to which the NRP 41 had made important contributions:
1. Improve starting conditions
The bases for decision-making, statsticsand models must be improved and political measures examined more systematically. Social acceptance must continue to be encouraged.
2. Maintain basic service and mobility
This includes flexible public and private modes of transport (including car sharing), and better public information on the services available.
3. Exploit the great potential of environmentally friendly technologies
Technological improvements will produce many future gains. The use of more economical and more environmentally friendly vehicles on the roads, on the rails and in the air nevertheless requires consistent promotion.
4. Finance transport according to the polluter-pays principle
In the long term the high uncovered costs of private and public transport must be financed by the polluter, not by the population in general. Prices and subsides must increasingly be used as incentives towards more efficient and environmentally friendly transport behaviour.
5. Make effective competition possible through setting clear framework conditions
The State should set clear framework conditions for effective competition (in public transport as well as private), but leave freedom for the best market solution to emerge, e.g. in combined goods transport.
6. Infrastructure: optimum design, efficient use
The transport networks should be aligned to new needs at an early stage, e.g. for connections to the international railway network and for terminals in combined transport. They should also be used efficiently, including the application of modern telematics.
7. Coordinate spatial planning and transport better
Good spatial planning makes it possible to minimise distances from to public transport and improve direct connections. Settlements, places of work and leisure facilities should be planned accordingly.
8. Participate more actively at an international level
Switzerland is not an island - particularly in transport and transport policy. It must be forward-looking in recognising European trends, and be more active in making her concerns heard within Europe by all available channels.
In 1977, the "Swiss Integral Concept for Transport" (ICT) presented 40 propositions with recommendations for transport policy. The NRP 41 did not have the mandate to write a new integral concept for transport, but it has provided a significant number of building blocks for the transport policy of the 21st century. In analogy with the ICT, the NRP summarised its most important recommendations in 41 propositions. Together with other contributions, these form important pieces of the mosaic leading to a sustainable transport policy, the goal of the federal Council and the responsible Department. Explanations of the propositions can be found in the previous chapters under the heading "Propositions".
A Strive for sustainable mobility
1. Use the concept of "sustainable mobility" as a guiding principle and put it into concrete terms
2. Counter growth with clear strategies
3. Question attitudes towards mobility
B Improve institutions and framework conditions
4. Advance the Railways Reform
5. Design financing pathways more fairly and effectively
6. Introduce steps towards true costs
7. Manage motorways more efficiently
8. Secure financing of local and inter-urban transport
9. Evaluate the impact of transport policies systematically
C Keep people mobile
10. Implement strategies for leisure traffic more actively
11. Develop strategies for air transport
12. Further develop Swissmetro and Eurometro technology as an idea for the future
13. Continue to promote combined mobility in passenger transport
14. Exploit the potential of car-free households
15. Use and encourage Human Powered Mobility
D Improve the sustainability of goods transport logistics
16. Make rail and combined goods transport marketable
17. Coordinate infrastructure for combined transport
18. Optimise mode shift strategies
19. Aim for the "factor 4 freight railway"
20. Exploit the economic potential of goods transport
E Use the potential of technology and telematics
21. Promote environmentally friendly technologies on the market
22. Make targeted use of road transport telematics
23. Promote telematics in public transport
24. Improve safety: aim for "Vision Zero"
25. Use the potential of telecommunications to reduce traffic
F Environment and spatial planning: reinforce both
26. Make more efforts to protect the climate
27. Pay more attention to the environmental pollution caused by public transport
28. Provide more benefit for the environment using the same amount of money
29. Assess programmes and projects earlier and more systematically
30. Adapt spatial planning policy better to transport
31. Optimise balance between the regions
G Make Swiss transport policy more European, make European transport policy more Swiss
32. Focus more on European trends
33. Increase the presence of Swiss interests in Europe
34. Pay more attention to the needs of border regions
H Target research for promotion
35. Plug gaps in statistics
36. Improve transport models
37. Increase the benefit of applied research through coordination
38. Network research more closely
I Secure acceptance and implementation
39. Reinforce the debate on sustainable transport
40. Improve training at all levels
41. Reinforce public acceptance through new models of participation
Felix WalterThe NRP 41 was mandated by the Federal Council to improve the scientific foundations of a sustainable transport policy. I am happy that President Leuenberger's Foreword is so positive in his acknowledgement of the scientific contribution of this "think-tank", which consisted of more than 50 research teams.
Just as important for NRP 41 was the mandate for implementation, which we treated as a high priority from the outset. Even if the significance of many of the policy building blocks provided by the NRP 41 can only be evaluated in a few years' time, the recognition of the Transport Minister and many other indicators prove to us that our efforts were worth it. These efforts included the committed cooperation of more than 100 experts in project support groups; additional funding of almost CHF 2 million from interested federal agencies, cantons, etc.; many visits to our Internet site; numerous satisfied participants in more than two dozen public conferences; direct contacts with parliament; M18 and above all many practical implementations of individual projects.S8 The propositions on this page are an attempt to summarise the most important proposals for policy.
I should like to take this opportunity to thank the scientists and the practitioners, for their committed efforts at dialogue, knowledge transfer and implementation - especially those who will continue to use the building blocks to create a sustainable transport policy.
Felix Walter,
NRP 41 Programme manager,
ECOPLAN, Bern