The deteriorating state of the natural environment in which we live, climate change, increasing traffic congestion, a high number of road accident victims, and the deteriorating acoustic climate of the environment are just some aspects of the development of road transport. On the other hand, transport is a key factor in the development of a modern economy. However, it is widely known that there is a constant contradiction between society’s desire for greater mobility and the negative consequences, mainly for the natural environment and quality of life, brought about by the constant increase in transport work in the transport sector, including mainly road transport. So what should be understood by sustainable transport? The answer to this is neither simple nor unambiguous. Work on defining this term has been ongoing at the international level for over twenty years. Transport, as an economic sector, was recognized in the EU’s Fifth Environmental Action Programme as one of the most environmentally burdensome sectors of the economy. In 1998, following the Cardiff Summit, actions were launched to monitor the effectiveness of measures taken to steer transport towards sustainable development. Sustainable transport is environmentally conscious, economically optimal, socially justified, and politically responsible.
By environmentally sensible, we should consider transport that also takes the ecological aspect into account in its development. The negative impact of transport on the natural environment is well recognized and is reflected in many program documents, both concerning economic development in general, e.g., the Lisbon Strategy of 2000.