National Institute of Statistics: Institutul National de Statistica - INS - Romania

Transport, Post and Telecommunication Statistics Unit - Structural Business Statistics Directorate - Economic Statistics Directorate General

16 Libertatii Blvd., Bucharest - 5, Romania

Road freight data collection consists of three datasets with quarterly periodicity:
1. Vehicle related variables dataset for a sample of road good motor vehicles contain, among others, indication about the type and age of the vehicle, the economic activity of the owner of the vehicle, the total kilometres loaded or empty.
2. Journey related variables dataset which contain, among other indications about weight of goods, regions of loading and unloading, distance driven, and tonne-kilometres performed during a journey
3. Goods related variables dataset which contain among others the type of goods transported and their weight and distance travelled, regions of loading and unloading.

Statistics on carriage of goods by road apply the following statistical classifications:

• The type of goods transported by road was collected, until reference year 2007 (included), according to the 24 groups of goods following the "Standard Goods Classification for Transport Statistics/Revised (NST/R )", . Since 2008 reference year, the classification used is NST 2007, in accordance with COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1304/2007 of 7 November 2007 amending Council Directive 95/64/EC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1172/98, Regulations (EC) No 91/2003 and (EC) No 1365/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council with respect to the establishment of NST 2007 as the unique classification for transported goods in certain transport modes.
• The regional coding is done in conformity with European legislation: "NUTS Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics" (see also NUTS). Economic activity class of the vehicle owner is an optional variable. Data were collected according to NACE Rev. 1 until the end of 2007. From the beginning of 2008 onwards, the economic activity has been classified according to NACE Rev. 2 (see  "Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, Rev. 2 (NACE Rev. 2)").
• Type of dangerous goods is a mandatory variable, but it is reported only for those goods that fall into this category. The classification is based on "European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road", Chapter 2.1, as published in Annex E of Council Regulation (EC) No 1172/98. Directive 2008/68/EC makes reference to ADR as regards the transport of dangerous goods by road.

The optional variable type of cargo follows the Classification of Cargo Types of UNECE (United Nations, Economic Commission for Europe - codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21 adopted by the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures, Geneva, March 1986).

The statistics refer to the carriage of goods by road by means of goods road transport vehicles which are registered in Romania with a load capacity of 3.5 tonnes or more and vehicle age up to 25 years.

The main concepts used in Road freight statistics are the following, more details can be found in the Road freight transport methodology manual : 

A goods road motor vehicle is any single road transport vehicle (lorry), or combination of road vehicles, namely road train (lorry with trailer) or articulated vehicle (road tractor with semi-trailer), designed to carry goods
Cross-trade is international road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country.
National transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) located in the same country by a vehicle registered in that country. 
International transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) in two different countries and cabotage by road. It may involve transit through one or more additional country or countries.
Cabotage is road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) in the same country performed by a road motor vehicle not registered in that country.
Transit is any loaded or empty road motor vehicle, which enters and leaves a country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the total journey within the country is by road and that there is no loading or unloading in the country.
Goods carried by road are any goods moved by goods vehicle
Place of loading/unloading of a goods road vehicle on another mode of transport

• Place of loading (of the goods road transport vehicle on another mode of transport): The place of loading is the first place where the goods road motor vehicle was loaded on to another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
• Place of unloading (of the goods road transport vehicle from another mode of transport): The place of unloading is the last place where the goods road motor vehicle was unloaded from another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).

The statistical unit for road freight transport statistics is the goods road transport vehicle authorised to perform this activity.

The total number of goods road motor vehicles authorised to perform freight transport by road.

Data produced refer to national, international (cabotage and cross-trade included) transport of goods by road, performed by vehicles registered in Romania.

The first data provided for the first quarter in 2006.

Not applicable.

Data are collected in tonnes, tonne-kilometres, vehicle-kilometres and in number of journeys (journey data) or in number of basic transport operations (BTO (goods related data)).

The road data are collected on a quarterly basis and are reported to Eurostat five months after the end of the reference period.

National level:

•   Law 226/2009 on the organisation and functioning of official statistics in Romania updated with subsequent amendments; http://www.insse.ro/cms/en/cadru-legal
•  Order of the President of the National Institute of Statistics of Romania setting the methodology for the production of goods road transport statistics

European level: 

• REGULATION (EU) N° 70/2012   

National level : Not applicable

From Eurostat :

Eurostat submits annually semi-aggregated data (data exchange tables, see Commission Regulation (EU) No 202/2010   amending the Commission Regulation (EC) No 6/2003) back to the reporting countries so that they can compile the total road freight transport on their national territories, including the operations by national hauliers and also those of all other reporting countries.

These data exchange tables include more detailed breakdowns than the publicly available tables. They also include, for each value, the information on the number of observations that the estimates are based on. In this way, the reporting countries can estimate the reliability of results that they aggregate from the data exchange tables.

National level:

•  Law 226/2009 on the organisation and functioning of official statistics in Romania updated with subsequent amendments;    http://www.insse.ro/cms/en/cadru-legal

European level:

• Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

Only aggregated data are disseminated in NIS publications and in on-line databases.

Data is disseminated in quarterly publications on paper and .pdf/.xls on NIS website at ninety days after the end of the reference quarter and annual data is disseminated in TEMPO online NIS database at five months after the end of the reference year.

The Catalogue of statistical publications and services is available on NIS website.

The statistical data is accesible to all users at the same time.

Data is transmitted to Eurostat 5 months after the end of the reference period and is disseminated in quarterly and yearly NIS publications. Annual data is disseminated in TEMPO online database.

Not applicable

'Transport of passengers and goods, by mode of transport' - NIS quarterly publication on paper and on NIS website as .pdf and .xls format 

http://www.insse.ro/cms/en/publicatii-statistice-in-format-electronic  / Transport.

'Romanian Statistical Yearbook'; 'Monthly Statistical Bulletin'; other NIS publications

Annual data is disseminated in TEMPO online NIS database 

http://statistici.insse.ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table / Transports / Road transport

Not applicable

Data is disseminated in other NIS synthesis publications and on demand in different reports and papers.

National characteristics of surveys conducted in Romania are published in Methodologies used in surveys of road freight transport in Member States, EFTA and Candidate Countries. This latter publication also contains data on response rates, vehicle registers' quality, sampling rates and statistical errors in surveys carried out.

Annual Quality Report

Romania uses the methods and definitions recommended in the legislation and Eurostat methodology in order to produce quality data. The appropriate sample design, the assurance of a sufficient response rate and the general conducting of surveys is performed by NIS and Eurostat is regularly informed on the national characteristics of the data collection.

The statistical error (percentage standard error) of the micro-data transmitted to Eurostat is not greater than 5%.

The assessment of the quality of the aggregated data is based on the comparisons of the survey performed by NIS with the recommended methodological approach, i.e. the coverage of the survey, the quality of the register, the sampling and the response rates, as well as simplifying assumptions. The precision calculationsare in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) 642/2004.

The statistics produced are in accordance with the legislation in force and the methodology recommended by Eurostat. At national level, statistical data is used by Romanian public authorities, i.e. Ministries, Agencies, researchers, other users.

Road freight transport statistical data are produced, disseminated and reported according to the provisions in the legislation in force. No national user satisfaction survey has been performed lately.

The statistics produced are in compliance with the legislation in force and Eurostat's Road freight transport methodology.

In order to compile road goods transport statistics a sample survey is carried out. The overall sampling error is within the standard percentage error, i.e. 5%.

The precision calculations are presented in the Annual Quality Report for the reference year.

The geographic and the time coverage do not generate errors. The response rates for the reference year are presented in the Annual Quality Report.

The nonresponse treatment is performed for each stratum and the partial responses are not accepted. The nonresponse treatment is performed during the logical control.

Data are compiled and submitted to Eurostat within 5 months after the end of the reference period. Data are published at ninety days after the end of the reference quarter.

Road freight data are transmitted to Eurostat within 5 months after the end of the reference period, as specified in the Regulation (EU) 70//2012, without delays.

The definitions used for the production of road freight data are those presented in the legislation and in Eurostat's Road freight transport methodology.

The gross weight of goods and all packaging, but excluding the tare-weight of any container, swap-body and pallets containing goods is reported.

Multi-stop journeys are recorded by consecutive stops - "vertical stages".

Swap-bodies are reported as "large freight containers".

Since 2006 reference year data is reported in accordance with the legislation.

Since 2008 reference year data have been reported in accordance with the unique classification for transported goods NST 2007 - Commission Regulation (EC) No 1304/2007.

Road freight transport statistics is produced based on a sample survey carried out quarterly by NIS.

Not applicable

An assessment of costs and burden has not been performed.

NIS revision policy: http://www.insse.ro/cms/en/content/revision-policy

Not applicable

 A sample survey carried out by NIS is used for road freight data collection. Data on vehicles, journeys and goods transported are provided by the transport operators for the vehicles selected in the sample online through NIS e-Survey Online Portal or on paper to Territorial Statistical Offices.

Sampling register used in the survey

Name of register: Vehicle Register

Name of organisation who maintains the register: Romanian Road Authority

Frequency of update: Quarterly

Frequency of access to draw the samples: Once a quarter

Arrangements for accessing the register: The sampling frame is based on the information on authorised vehicles received quarterly from Romanian Road Authority. The scrapped vehicles reported by owners and the vehicles older than 25 years are not included in the sampling frame.

Information obtained from the register: Number of registration, type of vehicle (category of vehicle and subcategory of vehicle), year of manufacturing, maximum permissible weight, load capacity, number of axles of vehicle (single vehicle), name and address of the vehicle's owner. From NIS statistical registers is obtained the information on main activity of the owner of the vehicle (NACE Rev2). The information is updated by the transport operator while filling in the questionnaire.

Used in stratification : Type of transport (derived from NACE Rev 2), load capacity.

Procedure for reminders: Reminders are transmitted by email at one week, respectively two weeks after the reporting deadline. After the second reminder the respondents are contacted by phone. The response rate is adequate.

The survey is carried out throughout the entire year and all 13 weeks of each quarter are covered. The vehicle (the statistical unit) is selected in the sample once a year for one week. Annual data are summed up from the quarterly data.

Sampling methodology

Statistical unit: Tractive vehicle

Types of units excluded: Vehicles with load capacity less than 3.5 tonnes, military vehicles, vehicles of public administrations, agricultural vehicles and vehicles older than 25 years.

Time unit: 1 week

Time units of the quarter included in the survey: All (13 weeks)

Stratification: The sample is stratified according to the following variables:

• Statistical regions (8 classes):
  • North-East
  • South-East
  • South - Muntenia
  • South-West Oltenia
  • West
  • North-West
  • Centre
  • Bucharest-Ilfov
• Type of transport:
  • hire or reward
  • own account
• Load capacity (4 classes):
  • 3 500 - 7 500 kg
  • 7 501 - 12 000kg
  • 12 001 - 17 000 kg
  • more than 17 000 kg

Recording of weight of goods: Gross weight of goods is collected, i.e. containers swap bodies and pallets are excluded.

Recording of journey data sent to Eurostat:

Single stop: For journeys with more than one commodity, only one record is created.

Journeys with the same distance, same goods, same quantity, same place of loading and unloading are recorded on a single row in the questionnaire, mentioning the number of identical journeys, but in A2 are recorded all journeys.

Multi stop: Multi-stop journeys are recorded by vertical stages.

Calculations of weighting factors

 N = total number of vehicles in a stratum

n = number of vehicles selected for the sample

where:

n_h1 = number of vehicles with activity from stratum h

n_h2 = number of vehicle without activity from stratum h

n_h3 = number of refusal from stratum h

n_h4 = number of vehicle with uncertain activity from stratum h

Optional variables covered:

A1. Vehicle-related variables:

• possibility of using vehicles for combined transport (YES)
• vehicle operator’s NACE Rev. 2 at class level (four-digit level) (YES)
• vehicle empty kilometres (NO)

A2. Journey-related variables:

• axle configuration according to the nomenclature defined in the Regulation on road transport statistics (YES)
• place of loading, if any, of the road transport vehicle on another means of transport (NO)
• place of unloading, if any, of the road transport vehicle from another means of transport (NO)
• degree of loading: situation ‘fully loaded’ (procedure 2) or ‘not fully loaded’ (procedure 1) of the goods road transport vehicle during the journey in question, in terms of maximum volume of space used during the journey (procedure 0 = by convention for unladen journeys) (YES), see the mention from Contries Specific Notes.

A3. Goods-related variables:

• type of freight (Cargo types) as defined in the Regulation (YES)

Additional variables collected compared to the legal requirements:

Environmental impact-related variables: Quantity of fuel (low quality of data).

National level : The first level of checks and validation are performed at Territorial Statistical Offices level and the second/final level of checks and validation are performed by NIS, according to the provisions in Order of the President of the National Institute of Statistics of Romania setting the methodology for the production of goods road transport statistics.  

From Eurostat : Since 1999, micro-data from the reporting countries have to be submitted according to Commission Regulation 2163/2001. The data are then checked and validated by EUROSTAT (verification of many different codes used (NUTS 3, numeric or alphabetic variables) correctness of linked questionnaires in the different dataset, etc…). Detected errors are then reported back to the data sender with the request for correction, this is an iterative process until at least 99.5% of all data records are validated and loaded in the database.

The quarterly micro-data are processed, edited and validated, than extrapolated on the basis of weighting factors in order to obtain quarterly data.

Road freight data are not seasonally adjusted.

Not applicable