Egypt has become a member of the world's road transport organization, International Road Transport Union (IRU), Ahmed El-Wakeel, head of Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, announced Wednesday. IRU members are primarily national associations for passenger or goods transport. They include associations of truck, bus, coach, and taxi operators, associations for a specific category of road transport, chambers of commerce and automobile clubs. IRU also has associate members who are national and international not-for profit associations and companies. One of IRU's core activities is to facilitate trade and help countries and people prosper by opening up and maintaining international trade routes, notably through TIR. TIR is international transit system based on a UN Convention implemented at global level in public-private partnership to facilitate and secure trade by allowing customs-sealed vehicles and freight containers to transit countries without border checks. Becoming a member of IRU, an international guarantee scheme that will enable Egypt to become a global logistics centre, El-Wakeel said. Egypt has already signed the TIR convention, which will come into effect after the parliament approves it, he added.
