C. JORDAN
Indeed, we do see them very much related, with one of the four key Strategic Direction Sessions at this Congress entitled "Risk management: New approaches to improving safety".
We also recognise the whole area of road safety as one of the most important facing road administrations and road professionals. Of the 20 forward looking Special Sessions at the Congress, no less than five address aspects of road safety and disaster mitigation.
As with all topics in PIARC, we focus on areas not comprehensively covered by other organisations or where our 111 member countries feel we can add real value for them. In road safety in particular, we focus on infrastructure, operations and institutional arrangements, more than on vehicles and road user behaviour.
We will be reporting on our last four years' work in the relevant Technical Committee sessions. In addition, there will be a Special Session on "Road safety audits and inspections".
In disaster mitigation, there is a Special Session on "Road authorities' preparation and response to emergencies" and another on "Management of safety in road tunnels".
With growing recognition of road administrations' responsibilities in both developed and developing countries to provide safe mobility for vulnerable and exposed road users, there is a Special Session on "Mobility for vulnerable users" and one on "Road safety issues and policies in developing countries".
I must stress that a key part of PIARC's Mission is to work with and assist developing countries and countries in economic transition. Issues of concern to developing countries form an integral part of the work program of all Technical Committees and will feature in their reporting sessions at this Congress. In addition, the Special Session I just mentioned on road safety issues and policies and another on road management issues are specifically focused on developing countries.
D. ROUSSET
Let's come to the second issue and of course we think about global warming and climatic change that has become the most frequently mentioned topics when discussing sustainability. How is this issue being addressed at this Congress?
C. JORDAN
In the broadest sense, the topic is being addressed in the Strategic Direction Session entitled "Challenges for sustainable development of road systems".
More specifically, there are two aspects to climate change and global warming, both of which present road administrations with challenges and choices:
The first is the impact of climate change on the road system, and is related to disaster mitigation. We will be looking at that in the Special Session on "Vulnerability of road systems to climate change".
The other is the impact of road transport on global warming, and in response, half of the Special Session on "Technological advances" will look at energy issues.
Important strategies in reducing global warming include increasing energy efficiency, use of more greenhouse friendly energy sources, carbon trading schemes and reducing energy use by, for example, reducing demand, reducing congestion and effective mode choice.
Notwithstanding the emphasis now being given to global warming and climate change, PIARC is also not neglecting the more traditional and still important topics of preservation of the environment, heritage conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. These topics will be covered in the relevant Technical Committee reporting sessions.
I also want to emphasise that just as I said in my opening welcome speech, this conference is not just about presentations being made from the front of the room, its success very much depends upon the participation of all attendees. The progress our Association makes on this topic will be strongly linked to the inspiration which comes from our delegates.
D. ROUSSET
You just mentioned reducing congestion and modal choice. That is the 3rd issue for PIARC and what are you doing in these areas?
C. JORDAN
Amelioration of congestion is an essential component in achieving sustainable transport. Accordingly, "Management of congestion" is the topic of one of the Special Sessions at the Congress.
Appropriate mode choice and multi-modal transport is, of course, one way to reduce congestion and thereby improve mobility of people and the efficiency of freight movement. However, effective multi-modal transport is not easy to achieve, and PIARC is providing a forum for sharing knowledge on best practice and exploring new ideas in this area. In particular, one Special Session will be devoted to "Urban Intermodality" and another to "Combined freight transport modes".
Also, one of the four Strategic Direction Sessions will address the related topic of "Integrated parts of the transport chain in a world of globalisation".
D. ROUSSET
C. Jordan, let's switch now to the 4th issue. I mean Innovation and technology. To what extent do you see intelligent transport systems helping to achieve more effective intermodal transport?
COLIN JORDAN
ITS is crucial not only to effective intermodal transport but also to all aspects of network operations, road safety and disaster mitigation, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy conservation, user charging and so forth. However, ITS is very comprehensively addressed by many other organisations. Therefore, PIARC's work in this area is aimed at complementing this work rather than duplicating it.
PIARC is more concerned with the deployment of technology in all the areas we have talked about in pursuit of best practice and innovation. It will pervade most of the topics being presented and discussed at this Congress.
Having said that, and as mentioned earlier, there is a Special Session on "Technological advances", devoted about half to energy issues and the other half to road safety and operations. There is also another session which will look at how trans-national research is structured, public support for innovation and the removal of obstacles to the evaluation and dissemination of innovation. This is an important precursor to the deployment of technology.
D. ROUSSET
The issues we have touched upon so far suggest that PIARC has broadened its canvas a long way from the traditional areas of pavements and bridges. A moment ago, you mentioned user charging. It clearly means that you are also looking at issues concerning financing and investments in roads?
C. JORDAN
Very much so.
However, let me say first that the traditional areas of pavements and bridges remain firmly on PIARC's agenda, with Technical Committee sessions at this Congress reporting on outstanding work done over the last four years. The focus in these areas has shifted somewhat, with emphasis now more on managing road infrastructure assets. Indeed, the fourth Strategic Direction Session is concerned with the very interesting topic of "Integrating best technical and management practices with political responsibilities" in the area of road infrastructure assets.
Returning to finance and investment, PIARC has Technical Committees reporting at this Congress on road system economics and on financing road system investment. There will also be a Special Session on "financing road investment through comprehensive long-term contracts".
More particularly, the Ministers' Session this afternoon will look at the potential and limits of user charging, and will no doubt present a wide range of different tools that have been tried, both successfully and unsuccessfully, and others that are being planned and investigated.
D. ROUSSET
One last question and this will be our 6th and last issue which is better governance. As we all know: Over recent years there has been rising public concern in many countries (and in international funding and aid organisations about governance issues.)What can PIARC contribute in this area?
C. JORDAN
PIARC is not a policeman. In this area, like all other areas, PIARC does what it does best: that is, share knowledge and experience, identify and disseminate best practice, move state-of-the-art boundaries forward through discussion and collaboration, and provide the best possible global contact networks for professionals and administrators.
PIARC has been sharing knowledge for more than eight years on the performance of road administrations and how it might be evaluated. Governance issues, including accountability, integrity and corruption, as well as different administrative structures, have been in the formal work program for the last four years. All of these issues will be addressed at this Congress, either through Technical Committee reporting sessions or forward looking Special Sessions.
Finally, there is one Special Session on "Responding to human resources challenges in the road sector". If we are to meet the challenges posed by all the issues we have just canvassed, if we are to make good choices for sustainable development, road administrators and their private sector partners will need people with more skills, higher level skills and often very different skills from those in the past. This perhaps presents us with the greatest challenge of all.
