| National Charter Tour

The Minister for Transport Doris Bures thanked all the signatories for their commitments and their contribution to increase safety on Austria’s roads. „Road safety is a topic in need of a wide scope. Just as ONE driver is not able to increase road safety all on his own, the legislative body can neither achieve this on its own. It needs cooperation, the commitment of many, the competition of ideas. Therefore, it is important that many companies implement concrete internal actions to improve road safety“, says Bures.

 

On behalf of the European Commission, Walter Nissler reminded the audience of the “shared responsibility” for road safety of all stakeholders ranging from EU, governments and local administrations and associations to companies and every single citizen. The European Road Safety Charter with its meanwhile more than 1.900 signatories he called a huge success, that not only consists of multiplying the number of commitments but furthermore of creating a community with the specific goal and the chance to exchange information, experience and good practice. “Within this unique consortium of committed citizens and organisations, the Austrian signatories will benefit from the network effect of membership”, says Nissler.

 

By signing the European Road Safety Charter, Austrian entities, amongst them small, medium and large companies, non-governmental organizations and public authorities, demonstrated their determination to contribute to the reduction of fatalities and accidents on Austria’s roads. These organisations are committing to road safety action plans for a three year period and also pledge to share best practices and research on a European level through the European Road Safety Charter platform, which can be accessed in all the European languages. The various planned actions range from education and information campaigns on security equipment in company vehicles to bus and tram safety training for schoolchildren.

 

All 21 new and the seven renewed commitments can be found on the Charter website (www.erscharter.eu), alongside the recently opened Austrian community that encourages the exchange of ideas and networking between all signatories.

 

The 21 new signatories from the Vienna event are: APCOA Parking Austria AG, Arbeiter Samariter Bund Österreichs (Workers' Samaritan Federation), ASFINAG Autobahnen- und Schnellstraßen-Finanzierungs-Aktiengesellschaft (Motorway and Expressway Financing Corporation), Avis Autovermietung Gesellschaft m.b.H. (Avis Car Rental), Europäische Vereinigung für Unfallforschung und Unfallanalyse e.V. (EVU; European Association for Accident Research and Analysis), Internationale Spedition Schneckenreither Gesellschaft m.b.H. (International Forwarding Agency Schneckenreither Ltd), OMV Aktiengesellschaft, Österreichische Apothekerkammer (Austrian Pharmacists Chamber), Österreichische Ärztekammer (Austrian Medical Chamber), Österreichische Forschungsgesellschaft Straße - Schiene – Verkehr (Austrian Association for Research on Road - Rail – Transport), Österreichischer Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband (Austrian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted), Österreichischer Städtebund (Austrian Association of Cities and Towns), Stadt Innsbruck (City of Innsbruck), Stadtwerke Klagenfurt AG (STW Klagenfurt Municipal Utilities Group), Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (Styrian Federal State Railways), Technische Hydraulik, United Parcel Service Speditionsgesellschaft m.b.H., VCÖ - Mobilität mit Zukunft (VCÖ – Mobility with the future), WIENER LINIEN GmbH & Co KG (Vienna public transport Ltd), Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (Austrian Chamber of Commerce), Zillertaler Verkehrsbetriebe Aktiengesellschaft (Zillertal Public Transport Company).