INLAND WATERWAYS AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

By John Stoker

For the average traveler to Europe, it has become as commonplace to complain about the traffic in London or Paris as it is to complain about gridlock in New York. The burgeoning integration of Europe with its attendant transport plans and policies has led to greater utilization of trucks and highways than it has of rail, to say nothing, of waterborne commerce. The European development of its national and international highway systems has been quite effective in bridging the gap between West and East. But the cost of such highway developments has led to increased traffic congestion and bottlenecks in transport infrastructure improvements.

Because of the commonplace aspects of highway congestion, pollution, and increased risks in highway vehicle operations, the European Commission (as the central planning agency for the European Union) has embarked on a comprehensive program to relieve the European transport system of its over-reliance on highway systems and has led to policy pronouncements in regard to improving rail and waterborne systems.

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