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Getting Britain moving
Page 16
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Paul Clark MP is the man who knows about trucks at the DfT. He tells CM what Labour thinks it has done for the industry and what it could do better.
christ op her.waltonfdrbt.co.uk PAUL CLARK. the MP for Gillingham and Rainham, has been the transport minister at the Department for Transport (DfT) since October 2008. and in that period he has reported into two secretaries of state for transport: the short-lived Geoff Hoon and current incumbent. Lord Adonis.
The government, and the Df I'. have taken a lot of flack for their approach to road transport in recent years. It would be fair to say that some sectors of the industry believe the government doesn't care much about freight, particularly freight on HGVs, and is unwilling to listen to operators' concerns. It is a charge Clark is swift to defend.
"The first all-party parliamentary group I joined was the rail freight group, not because I was hellbent that everything should be on the railways, but I recognised the importance of the whole logistics industry." he states. -Many people don't think about how a packet of biscuits gets to Tesco and that is the challenge lwe face]." he adds.
Clark is also quick to stress that the DtT has looked to work in "genuine partnership" with the industry to seek solutions to problems that range from night-time and urban deliveries through to reducing congestion.
Modal shift
He also insists that while the government's mantra is modal shift — which Clark insists is good for reducing congestion on Britain's roads — the Da recognises a majority of freight movements will still take place on the road, because they're going short distances. And if Clark has any mantra himself, it is getting Britain's roads moving and cutting congestion.
-It is about having that balance. Modal shift frees up space on the motorway, which is for the benefit of operators. We have a ifibn programme on the strategic network, including active traffic management: motorway widening on critical routes that link major cities and ports as well as hard shoulder running.
"That investment, alongside railway investment — gives us opportunities to move goods around.
-You always want to have done more. and quicker, but you have to live in the real world. A balance has to be kept on what you can deliver quickly and where agreements can be reached."
Making improvements to the UK's road infrastructure won't be cheap, however.
The Freight Transport Association and Road Haulage Association have both called for continuous investment