The Working Party held its 59th session from 28 to 30 May 2008 in Geneva

The session of the Working Party focused on the 4th revision of the Glossary of Transport Statistics, which was adopted. The Glossary is an important tool developed and maintained by UNECE, EURSTAT and the International Transport Forum (ITF). It is used for data collection to ensure that international transport statistics are based on the same definitions. The Working Party also adopted a Handbook on Road Traffic Accident Statistics and discussed and approved editorial changes to the NST 2007 on classification of goods in transport statistics. NST 2007 is covering road, rail, inland waterways and maritime transport.

In addition, the Working Party decided to establish two Ad hoc Expert Groups on the UNECE road and rail traffic censuses to be held in 2010 throughout the UNECE region. The objective of these groups that will be meet in Geneva on 10 November 2008 (road) and 11 November 2008 (rail) is to evaluate the results of the traffic censuses in 2005, elaborate recommendations to Governments on the methodology and data coverage for the 2010 censuses and draft resolutions on the 2010 censuses for adoption by the UNECE Inland Transport Committee in February 2009.

Concerning data collection, the Working Party decided to circulate a pilot questionnaire on road traffic volumes by vehicle-km and to prepare a pilot questionnaire on transport statistics of gas through pipelines. Finally, the Working Party decided to continue the activities of the Task Force on statistics on transportation by buses and coaches.

All documents submitted and presentations made during the session of the Working Party are available on this site.

(click http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp6/transstatwp6wdoc_2008.html).

Transport statistics: an invaluable tool for effective transport policy (UNECE Weekly – Issue No. 271).