Freight Transport: Eighth Report of Session 2007-08; Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written EvidenceThis is the 8th report from the Transport Committee (HCP 249, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780215521941) and focuses on freight transport. The Committee has set out 29 recommendations, including: that the Government needs to adopt a more proactive freight strategy, given there are significant economic and transport benefits to be gained; the Department of Transport should produce a national freight plan, setting out aspirations for the reduction in congestion and transport emissions, freight infrastructure and job opportunities and the development of future technologies that maybe beneficial for the freight business; that rail and water freight must be able to compete on a an equal footing with road transport; that the Government could do more to encourage waterborne freight transport; that Network Rail must recognise the importance of freight instead of treating it as the poor relation of passenger services; that the Government needs to engage with European freight schemes to ensure that UK business is not disadvantaged and further, highlight the importance of the UK air freight operators' competiveness with continental operators; the Government needs to discuss a way forward with the UK haulier industry, which the Committee sees as being unfairly treated through subsidising their continental competitors through high levels of taxation on fuel. |
Contents
Report | 3 |
Inland waterways and coastal shipping | 22 |
5 | 29 |
7 | 38 |
29 | 29 |
220 | 101 |
34 | 123 |
39 | 138 |
44 | 163 |
45 | 170 |
Common terms and phrases
airports areas aviation British Waterways capacity carbon cargo Chairman Channel Tunnel Clive Efford Committee congestion costs currently delivering delivery Department for Transport Dover drivers economic Eddington efficiency emissions encourage enhancement ensure European facilities Felixstowe freight industry freight movements freight operators Freight Quality Partnerships freight transport fuel gauge Government Government's Graham Stringer growth hauliers HGVs Hollobone impact important improvements increase infrastructure inland waterways investment issues Jim Fitzpatrick logistics London lorry Midlands million tonnes modal shift modes motorways moved Muirhead Nautilus UK Network Rail passenger planning potential Professor McKinnon rail freight rail network railway recognised reduce regional Report road and rail road freight road haulage road pricing role route scheme sector shift from road significant South East Strategic Freight Network Sustainable Distribution Fund Transport Innovation Fund Tyne and Wear UK's vehicles waterborne White Paper