A system for controlling the propulsion of a goods or material handling vehicle, said system comprising: - a propulsion system for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle; - a first pedal (2, 16) for driving in a first direction; - a second pedal (3, 17) for driving in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, said second pedal (3, 17) being mechanically uncoupled from the first pedal (2, 16); - a first pedal position sensing device (11, 33), which is adapted to sense the deviation of the first pedal (2, 16) from a predetermined neutral position; - a second pedal position sensing device (12, 34), which is adapted to sense the deviation of the second pedal (3, 17) from a predetermined neutral position; and - a control unit, which is adapted, on the one hand, to receive information about the positions of the pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) from the pedal position sensing devices (11, 12, 33, 34) and, on the other hand, to calculate as a function of said deviations, and to transmit, control signals to the propulsion system in order to generate a driving or braking torque, characterized in that the control unit comprises a computer unit which, starting from a state where said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) are in their neutral positions, is adapted to calculate the driving torque as a function of the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position first, and that the computer unit is adapted to calculate the braking torque as a function of: (i) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position first; or (ii) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position first and the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position last; or (iii) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position last, wherein the computer unit is adapted to allow a change of direction of travel from the first direction to the second direction only when the first pedal (2, 16) is in its neutral position and the second pedal (3, 17) is caused to deviate from its neutral position. - a propulsion system for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle; - a first pedal (2, 16) for driving in a first direction; - a second pedal (3, 17) for driving in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, said second pedal (3, 17) being mechanically uncoupled from the first pedal (2, 16); - a first pedal position sensing device (11, 33), which is adapted to sense the deviation of the first pedal (2, 16) from a predetermined neutral position; - a second pedal position sensing device (12, 34), which is adapted to sense the deviation of the second pedal (3, 17) from a predetermined neutral position; and - a control unit, which is adapted, on the one hand, to receive information about the positions of the pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) from the pedal position sensing devices (11, 12, 33, 34) and, on the other hand, to calculate as a function of said deviations, and to transmit, control signals to the propulsion system in order to generate a driving or braking torque, (i) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position first; or (ii) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position first and the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position last; or (iii) the position of the one of said pedals (2, 3, 16, 17) which is caused to deviate from its neutral position last,