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S ans t •

13th March 1982, Page 8
13th March 1982
Page 8
Page 8, 13th March 1982 — S ans t •
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THERE WAS an eightfold increase in international lorry traffic by ferry to and from the UK, between 1970 and 1980, according to figures recently released by the Department of Transport.

In its survey results for 1980, the DTp reports that nearly 16m tonnes of goods were carried by ro/ro road traffic, compared with only 2m in 1970, and this figure amounts to 12 per cent of all non-fuel traffic between Britain and foreign ports, and over 20 per cent of traffic to and from European ports.

In all, lorries carried 7m tonnes of freight out of Britain, and 8,9m inwards, with unaccompanied trailers handling 49 per cent of exports and 52 per cent of the imports. Of the traffic carried in accompanied trailers, 65 per cent of export business was handled in UK-registered vehicles, and 49 per cent of imported goods came by UK lorries.

The survey covered 7,679 records of foreign journeys made by UK operators of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross, which, according to the DTp, is about four per cent of the 177,000 journeys estimated to have been made in 1980. It accepts that the figures for journeys to Scandinavia, West Germany and Ireland are small, and could be up to 25 per cent wrong in some cases.

As this is only the second such report, and as the first was based on a two per cent sample of traffic in the second half of 1979, the DTp doubts whether any valid comparison between the two reports • can be made. But the latest report does nevertheless show a nine per cent decrease in international haulage traffic, measured in tonne/km terms.

Of the 3,8 52bn tonne/km moved in 1980, only eight per cent went by own-account vehicles, with most of it going to Ireland, France and Belgium. The inland market share was around 40 per cent.

The average consignment by road was about 10 tonnes, and the average length of haul was around 900km, with hire or reward transport carrying higher average loads and undertaking longer journeys.

France was the origin and destination for most traffic in the survey, followed by West Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Switzerland ac

counted for almost as much traffic as Ireland. Most traffic outside-Europe was to the near and Middle East, but this was almost entirely export business from Britain with little opportunity for backloads.

London and South-East England was the loading point for 32 per cent of accompanied traffic out of Britain, with 12 per cent coming from Greater London. 44 per cent of import traffic was unloaded in London and the SouthEast, 20 per cent of it in Greater London.

Most agricultural traffic was loaded in Yorkshire, Humberside, and North West England. Most foodstuffs were loaded in South-East and South-West England and the West of Scotland.

• International Road Haulage by United Kingdom Registered Vehicles Annual report on 1980 survey results is available for £5.30 (including post) from Room S12/02A, Department of Transport, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to the Department of Transport.

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Organisations: Department of Transport
Locations: London

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