“Road safety is one of the most serious issues in the transport sector of the EU. There are still countries where the number of road deaths is very high and not likely to go down. How are you planning to tackle this serious issue?” asked Peter Vitanov, Head of the Delegation of Bulgarian Socialists of the EP, Adina Valean, candidate for Commissioner of Transport.

The hearing of Mrs Valean took place after the first proposal for a Romanian commissioner, Rovana Plumb, was rejected by the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

She said that there was a strategy for zero deaths by 2050 and fewer serious injuries by 2030. According to her, in order to increase road safety, interventions are needed in several areas: infrastructure, drivers’ behaviour, and the condition of vehicles. Modernisation through smart traffic systems is also necessary.

Mr Vitanov explained about the entrance fees and traffic bans in some European cities, including the so called ‘diesel bans’ and their big impact on hauliers and vehicle owners.

To the question about what measures were proposed to tackle the current situation without a harmonised framework for urban vehicle access regulations on the EU level, Mrs Valean said that an integrated approach was needed to solve the main problems in the cities: air quality, traffic congestions. She also emphasised the importance of introducing new forms of mobility, shared vehicles, and electronic mobility.