IELTS0716
The strong economic growth expected in countries which are candidates for entry to the EU will also increase transport flows, in particular road haulage?貨運(yùn)業(yè) traffic. In 1998, some of these countries already exported more than twice their 1990 volumes?容量 and imported more than five times their 1990 volumes. And although many candidate countries inherited a transport system which encourages rail, the distribution between modes has tipped?傾斜 sharply in favour of?支持 road transport since the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1998, road haulage increased by 19.4%, while during the same period rail haulage decreased by 43.5%, although – and this could benefit the enlarged EU – it is still on average at a much higher level than in existing member states.
?The first approach would consist of focusing on road transport solely?單獨(dú)的 through pricing. This option would not be accompanied by complementary measures in the other modes of transport. In the short term it might curb?控制,約束 the growth in road transport through the better loading ratio of goods vehicles and occupancy rates of passenger vehicles expected as a result of the increase in the price of transport. However, the lack of measures available to revitalise other modes of transport would make it impossible for more sustainable modes of transport to take up the baton.
The second approach also concentrates on road transport pricing but is accompanied by measures to increase the efficiency of the other modes (better quality of services, logistics,?后勤 technology). However, this approach does not include investment 投資 in new infrastructure 基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施 , nor does it guarantee better regional cohesion 凝聚 . It could help to achieve greater uncoupling than the first approach, bust road transport would keep the lion’s share of?最大份額 the market and continue to concentrate on saturated?飽和,填滿 arteries 動脈,要道, despite being the most polluting?污染 of the modes. It is therefore not enough to guarantee the necessary shift of the balance.