UK hauliers do better
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BRITISH hauliers made 45 per cent of journeys by powered vehicles to the Continent in the first quarter of this year. This compares with only 39 per cent in the last quarter of 1984, and 43 per cent for 1984 as a whole.
The Department of Transport quarterly statistics bulletin published this week shows that the total number of goods vehicles, including unaccompanied trailers, leaving the country between January and March was 198,200.
This represents a six per cent drop from the previous quarter, but a one per cent increase over the first quarter of 1984.
Unaccompanied trailer traffic, which the DTp does not analyse by nationality, is growing steadily. The 96,000 movements between January and March were one per cent ..cip on the previous quarter and three per cent up on the first quarter of 1984.
Of the 101,400 journeys by powered vehicles of all nationalities, 45,600 (45 per cent) were by British hauliers.
Next Caine France with 20,500 (20 per cent). Belgium with 8,700 (nine per cent), the Netherlands with 8,600 (eight per cent) and West Germany with 4,500 (four per cent). Spain kJ the non-EEC countries with 2,200 journeys, or two per cent of the total.
The figures show that British hauliers' gains were mostly made at the expense of the French, whose share dropped by 7,100 journeys to its lowest level since 1983. Belgian hauliers lost 1,800 and Dutch 1,600 journeys.
According to the bulletin, Belgian, French and Dutch ports remained the most popular for disembarkation, with 68,100, 65,900, and 45,200 vehicles respectively.
The Road Haulage Association has been increasingly concerned at the decline in its members' share of international traffic (CM, July 6). So the latest statistics will be good news.