Together, the City of Vienna and the Vienna Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer Wien) take the initiative to enable a rapid conversion of trucks already on the road. The aim of the joint initiative is to increase security on Vienna’s roads.
The City of Vienna is providing EUR 1 million for the equipment of the Viennese trucks. The prerequisite for this, however, is that there is an Austria-wide regulation as financing for the retrofitting of trucks already in use on the roads. In Vienna, there are currently around 8,000 trucks with a maximum permissible gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes, including 3,000 trucks over 12.5 tonnes.
“We are helping the Confederation and are offering financial support – on condition that Transport Minister Norbert Hofer implements nationwide funding. Now action is needed,” said Vice Mayor and Transport Councilor Maria Vassilakou.
“Our goal is to increase safety. Vienna has already taken the first step and equips its own fleet with turning assistants. Now the federal government is required to present an Austria-wide solution, because only such a solution makes sense. Then Vienna is also ready to take over a part,” says Finance City Council Peter Hanke.
“Recent tragic accidents have shown that there is an urgent need for action here. Companies also have a social responsibility that goes beyond purely economic thinking. We accept this responsibility. I also thank Transport Chairman Davor Sertic for his initiative,” said Walter Ruck, President of the Vienna Economic Chamber.
But it is also clear that the transport industry cannot bear the cost of a rapid equipment with truck turning assistants alone. Walter Ruck: “Here, too, the public sector is required to invest money. By upgrading with turn-off assistants, domestic companies should not be at a competitive disadvantage compared to their competitors with trucks without turning assistants.”
