Austria is addressing recurring traffic disruptions caused by diverted through traffic with new time-based driving restrictions, digitally published via ASFINAG’s EVIS platform. As adoption across service providers remains uneven, European cooperation such as TISGRADE is seen as key to improving alignment and enabling more consistent cross-border traffic information services.
Austrian regional authorities (Bundesländer) are increasingly facing pressure to address recurring traffic disruptions caused by through traffic being diverted from motorways onto local road networks during peak travel periods, such as extended weekends due to public holidays and large-scale roadworks. This often leads to severe congestion on secondary roads, resulting in full gridlock and limiting access for emergency services.
To mitigate these impacts, Austria has recently introduced relevant ITS legislation, so-called time-based driving restrictions for through traffic. These legally binding ordinances are enforced by the police and are digitalised and published by ASFINAG through the EVIS cooperation (https://evis.asfinag.at). While some service providers already integrate this information, adoption still remains inconsistent across the sector. Austria therefore welcomes European collaboration like in TISGRADE to further align legal frameworks, digital infrastructure, and cross-border cooperation. Together, these efforts contribute to more consistent traffic information services, safer road networks, and more resilient mobility systems across Europe.
Strengthening the link between regulation and digital services
The implementation of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/670 under the ITS Directive has significantly strengthened the obligation for service providers to integrate road authorities’ traffic information into their services. This ensures that regulatory traffic measures are more consistently reflected in digital mobility applications across Europe. Recent updates to the ITS legal framework have also improved the enforceability of EU Delegated Acts, closing an important gap between European legislation and national implementation.
A shared European challenge
Congestion caused by diverted through traffic is not limited to Austria. Similar issues also occur in neighbouring countries like Switzerland and parts of southern Germany, particularly in cross-border traffic flows. This underlines the need for coordinated European approaches to traffic data sharing and digital traffic management.
TISGRADE as a European enabler
Against this background, Austria is actively engaged in European initiatives such as the RTTI Taskforce and TISGRADE, which aim to improve the availability, quality, and harmonisation of real-time traffic information across borders. TISGRADE brings together national experiences like EVIS with European partners to develop common standards, improve interoperability, and strengthen the integration of regulatory traffic data into mobility services.