Transport policy for sustainable development

The transport system should offer citizens and the business sector throughout Sweden a good, environment-friendly and safe infrastructure that is efficient in terms of the economy as a whole and sustainable in the long term.

Policy objective

The overall transport policy objective is to ensure that citizens and businesses in all parts of the country are provided with transport that is efficient in terms of the economy as a whole and sustainable in the long term.

The overall transport policy objective is broken down into six sub-goals:

• An accessible transport system
• High transport quality standards
• Safe transport
• A good environment
• Favourable regional development
• A transport system that is managed by and serves the interests of women and men equally

In the long term, all six sub-goals must be achieved. In the short-term, however, it may be necessary to prioritise among the sub-goals.

The basis of the transport policy objective is that transport policy is a means of achieving important goals in society. It should contribute to socially, culturally, economically and ecologically sustainable development. A decision on this was taken by the Riksdag in 1998, based on the Government Bill 1997/98:56 "Transportpolitik för en hållbar utveckling" (Transport policy for sustainable development).

Principles and guidelines

Transport consumers should be given the greatest possible freedom to decide how to organise their own transport within the framework of a responsible policy from the point of view of safety, the environment and so on. This should be achieved through realistic pricing of different modes of transport in terms of the economy as a whole.

Closer cooperation between different modes and types of transport should be combined with effective competition between various transport providers and transport solutions .
Decisions on transport issues should be made in as decentralised forms as possible, with a distinct division of roles between the different planning levels and actors.

Policy scope

Transport policy includes road and railway systems, road traffic, railway traffic, shipping and aviation. It also includes issues relating to transport infrastructure, research in specific sectors, and procurement of inter-regional public transport.

Policy focus

The supply of road and railway transport, shipping and aviation gives people greater freedom to choose where to live, work, educate themselves and spend their free time. All regions in Sweden should have the chance to develop, but their preconditions and needs vary substantially. Flexible and well-functioning labour markets are an important precondition for economic growth. The transport system should contribute to greater mobility on the labour market.

Agencies, public enterprises and major state-owned companies working in the policy area

The National Road Administration, the Swedish National Rail Administration, the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Government Seamen's Service, the Board for Shipping Support, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration, Rikstrafiken, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, the Swedish Accident Investigation Board, the Swedish Institute for Transport and Communications Analysis, the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems, the county administrative boards, the Swedish Coast Guard, SJ AB, Green Cargo AB, AB Svensk Bilprovning and SAS Sweden AB.