1. International Press Conference
16 May 2008
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

2. Martin MARMY, IRU Secretary General
International Press Conference of the world road transport organisation
Martin MARMY,
IRU Secretary General
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

3. Reviving the Great Silk Road
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

4. Evolution of sea containers in ports in 1971
The container movements in the main ports started with the birth of world containerisation in the 1970s.
In the 1970s, it was a high number of ports linked with a high number of small container vessels.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

5. Evolution of sea containers in ports in 1980
In the 1980s, there were bigger vessels and only five ports were emerging – New York and Rotterdam were the biggest. Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore were emerging.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

6. Evolution of sea containers in ports in 1990
In the 1990s the same trend continued.
The huge growth in Asian trade was and remains by the Pacific route to California.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

7. Evolution of sea containers in ports in 2000
In 2000, due to globalisation, the same trend continued at an even higher speed, mainly in the Asian ports.
The Asian ports, due to the lack of road infrastructure, exploded in volume.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

8. Evolution of sea containers in ports in 2006
The 2006 situation shows clearly why we have such massive congestion in all the main ports. The concentration of trade in a few ports generates not only bottlenecks, congestion and delays but above all additional costs!
This concentration of 80% of world trade in very few ports also creates a desertification of trade development in numerous regions that most require economic, social and political stability.
Our dream is to create, with road transport, peace and prosperity not only in a handful of ports, but in all the other regions.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

9. Interconnecting all the businesses along the reopened Silk Road
To CIS
To EU
To US
To US
To Mid East
By doing so, we are not only transporting goods from China to the States, but we are interconnecting all the businesses along the 8,000 mile Silk Road, thus realising new business opportunities.
In fact, by “looking West, young man”, you will also find your Middle Eastern markets, and we can interconnect all those businesses along that Middle East route, you can find your EU markets, and we can interconnect all the businesses along the EU route, you can find the CIS markets and we can interconnect all those businesses along the CIS route.
*****
A truck is not a boat, it is not a train, it is not a plane. Truck service is not concentrated in a handful of ports. A truck is always, everywhere, at the disposal of everyone. Thus, “looking West”, you could find fabulous new business opportunities.
Remember, a truck provides door-to-door service. A truck is therefore the best tool to unite people and to improve the distribution of wealth.
You might be looking at me and saying, “Martin, you’re crazy!”
But I say to you again, “wake up and smell the coffee, my dream has become reality.”
25% of world trade with neighbours sharing common border
50% of world trade between partners less than 3,000 km apart
Trade between Canadian provinces 22 times greater than trade between a Canadian province and US state of similar size and distance
Sea transport
Land transport
Key:
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

10. Beijing Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference and Ministerial Meeting, 26-27 September 2005
Visit of high-level governmental representatives, under the leadership of the IRU Secretary General, to Ju Huang, Deputy Prime Minister of the PRC.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

11. Beijing-Brussels Caravan
Launch of Historic
Beijing-Brussels Caravan
Brussels
Beijing
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

12. The Silk Road Competitive time and cost conditions
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

13. Asian Highway Truck Caravan
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

14. Driving progress from Bangkok and Tokyo to Istanbul
Logo not yet approved by UN
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

15. Black Sea Ring Highway Truck Caravan
The Caravan was initiated and promoted with the aim of promoting the future BSEC Ring Highway and identifying the physical road conditions and the non- physical barriers to road transport.
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

16. New Eurasian Land Transport Initiative - NELTI
© International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008

17. © International Road Transport Union (IRU) 2008