| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of the topic. Road transport is the most popular freight forwarding and passenger transportation mode, contributing to the overall economic and social growth. However, in the context of the increased traffic, it is faced with the growing number of the accidents, traffic congestion, air pollution problems, etc. Having regard to the accession to the European Union (hereinafter referred to as “EU“), a special task is assigned for the national transport sector, i.e. to integrate into the EU transport system in a rational and targeted manner and to adapt to the Community transport policy objectives, meeting the needs of the state public and private sectors in an efficient way. Subject matter of the Graduation Thesis is the development of the sustainable transport. Purpose of the Graduation Thesis is to foresee sustainable transport development prospects in Lithuania, having assessed the Lithuanian road transport situation in the terms of the sustainable development. Objectives of the Graduation Thesis are as follows: 1. To analyse sustainable transport issues and their impact on the sustainable development; 2. To analyse theoretical aspects of the sustainable transport development; 3. To evaluate the Lithuanian road transport situation in the terms of the sustainable development; 4. To foresee the prospects of the Lithuanian road transport in the sustainable development approach. Having performed the scientific references’ analysis as well as the research of the Lithuanian road transport situation in the sustainable development context, some essential sustainable transport development problem–based situations were identified and the conclusions that the present transport system does not develop in a sustainable manner were made. Firstly, it is noteworthy to state that there is no sustainable transport definition available in the analyzed references. Transport is considered as an integral part of various society activities as well as it is focused on its assistance at all political levels. However, the purpose to solve the dilemma among the oriented-towards-the-growth policy, encouraging the transport development, and the environmental policy, demanding to reduce emissions, and the social policy, aiming at the assurance of the equal and safe living conditions, should be considered as a priority. It is possible to declare that the essential aim of the sustainable development policy should be in line with the harmonisation of economic, social and environmental interests. It is noted that some of the indicators of the Lithuanian transport system are affected towards the negative side: the consumption of the fossil fuels is growing, though it should be diminishing; annually carbon dioxide emissions continue to increase. The evolution of the indicators does reflect the increasing transport volume, causing major ecological problems, and indicates the inefficiency or low application of less–environmentally–polluting technologies in the country. Public transport thus becomes non–competitive given the private transport development prevails in Lithuania, however, under the growth of the traffic flows, figures of the road accidents is increasing. It is disclosed that the aims of the sustainable transport development for Lithuania are hardly enforced in practice. The following may be considered as the main problems for Lithuania, aiming at the sustainability goals: the society’s approach towards the sustainability, the economic national status and the social status of the road accidents and the residents. According to the traffic safety, disregarding the major progress, made in the recent years, Lithuania lags behind the majority of the 15 EU member-states and recently the negative growth tendencies of the road fatalities and the people killed on the roads were highlighted. This shows that in addition to the administration measures more EU support funds for the development of the road traffic infrastructure, i.e. to improve the quality of the roads, to prepare bypasses, are to be directed. The imposition of the pollution tax, public transport attractiveness, such as cheap travels, renewed bus fleet, technologies, access for the disabled and the encouragement of less–environmentally–polluting fuel might be the main measures, greatly contributing to the establishment of the sustainable transport system in Lithuania. |
