Cargo, Estonia, Railways, Transport

In a letter to Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas, the association's Chairman of the Management Board Andres Valgerist asked the government to endorse the merger of the Maritime Administration, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Road Administration into a single department shaping and directing the field of transport and mobility. He also asked to give consideration to integrating Estonian Railways with the new joint administration. 

"In developing international freight transport and mobility as a comprehensive system, leaving aside the railway is not permissible," the letter says. "At the same time, we see important places of synergy in view of the organization of the whole logistics chain and international freight transport when the planning and management of all four different kinds of transport -- transport by water, transport by land, railway transport, and also air transport -- takes place comprehensively at one national department."

Valgerist also described cross-sectoral planning of transport investments as important to direct Estonia's limited resources  not towards developing forms of transport that compete with each other, but towards the balanced development of forms of transport working together.

He said that as a representative of clients, the association also attaches value to the development of customer service, especially e-service, at the new national department with a view to ensuring fast, convenient and effective interaction with the national department.   

In February, Minister of Public Administration Jaak Aab introduced the actions under the state reform for the period from  2019-2023, including the plan for the creation of the joint department, at a meeting of officials and employees of the area of administration of the Ministry of Rural Affairs.

Under the plan, in total 15 existing institutions of the state are to be merged either fully or partially into five joint departments.