Surface access will be the game-changer for port development and
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is the second major issue to come out of these discussions that will severely affect the haulage community.
Throughout all three committee hearings that CM attended, the emphasis was on modal shift for freight once it reaches dry land.
There is clearly a desire at government level to reduce road freight miles, lower congestion, cut 002 emissions and get more freight on the railways by hook or by crook.
While container specialist operators might be rolling their eyes at this juncture, there is evidence that this approach has a factual basis, as Baxter explains: "If you look at rail subsidies, the North — particularly the NorthWest — got less than 1% of the budget for transport. In effect, what we are talking about
is subsidising interconnections to the port. That Is why it has to dovetail with the road and rail strategy and the discussion about that.
"We would like a seat at the table in the North to have that discussion. At the moment we are not even there."
This lack of investment in port rail connections in the North has had a positive knock-on effect for hauliers.
Baxter argues that approximately 300,000 containers a year enter the UK in the South-East and are transported to the North-West by road. That
rises to one million including ,ar the remainder of the North „. 4 of England, Scotland .e-4 and Ireland.