TSE to coordinate project increasing safer heavy goods traffic 

The C.A.S.H. (Connecting Authorities for Safer Heavy Goods Traffic in the Baltic Sea Region) project enhances cooperation among Road Police units and Transport Inspectorates and respective units dealing with crossborder Heavy Goods Traffic transport flows. Other key focus areas are safety issues of Dangerous Goods transport and harmonisation of training of respective authorities in line with EU directives. Earlier this week, the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007–2013 approved funding for the C.A.S.H. project over a three-year period of 3.4 million euros.

– Over 560,000 million tonkilometer of goods are transported annually on the roads of the Baltic Sea Region, including 5–10 % classified as Dangerous Goods. Although EU legislation on Heavy Goods Vehicles and Dangerous Goods transport are widely harmonised at the European level, the implementation and interpretation of existing regulations as well as the operating procedures varies between countries, states TSE Project Coordinator Torsten Hoffmann.

The Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007–2013 strategic objective is to strengthen the development towards a sustainable, competitive and territorially integrated Baltic Sea region by connecting potentials over the borders. This week, the Programme approved funding for the C.A.S.H. project, which overall budget for the years 2009–2011 is 3.4 million euros.

Crossborder cooperation

The partnership comprises 14 competent authorities in the Baltic Sea Region in road traffic safety, Regional Councils and research institutes. Road Police units and Transport Inspectorates and respective units have a key role in the project. From Finland further partners are the Regional Councils of South-West Finland, Southern Carelia and Kymenlaakso. Research institutions from Finland comprise the Turku School of Economics logistics studies the University of Turku on Department of Psychology – Traffic Psychology. Research institutes focus especially on Heavy Goods Traffic risk analysis and driver behaviour issues in close cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

The Lead Partner of the C.A.S.H.-project is the TSE logistics studies and the application was designed by Professor Lauri Ojala. C.A.S.H. is partially a continuation of two previous projects executed in 2006–2007 by the TSE logistics studies DaGoB and LogOn Baltic which had a combined budget of approximately 4 million euros. DaGoB improved dangerous goods transport and LogOn Baltic regions logistics competence.

For further information:

• Lauri Ojala, Professor, Project Director, Turku School of Economics, phone: +358 50 502 7031, +358 2 481 481 (switchboard), lauri.ojala(a)tse.fi
• Torsten Hoffmann, Project Coordinator, Turku School of Economics, phone: +358 2 4814 192, torsten.hoffmann(a)tse.fi
  
  

Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007–2013