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INT aims to merge road/rail funding
Page 6
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Zoad and rail will be considered together under the latest DfT plans
but not until after 2014. Dylan Gray and Roanna Avison report.
HE DEPARTMENT for Tansport (DfT) is considering an .tegrated approach to transport .anning on the back of the Stern id Eddington reports.
In the report Towards Sustaina'e Transport Systems: Supporting conomic Growth in a Low-Car7n World, Transport Secretary uth Kelly outlines the DIT's .!,,enda for transport investment Td tackling congestion after 2014. A key proposal is an end to !palate investment in road and rail. Road Haulage Association chief cecutive Roger King predicts that is will make the DfT more likely consider intermodal solutions ■ transport problems: "From our Dint of view it represents an opportunity to set out the road transport stall and show the politicians the road haulage sector's green credentials."
He adds that as most freight is moved by road discussions based on this document will help tackle the obstacles to an efficient road freight system, such as congestion.
James Hookham, MD of policy and communication at the Freight Transport Association, says: "We fully support [an integrated approach]. It gets around this whole 'road vs rail' debate,which is good. The government has come round to seeing it how businesses do, but we would say to the government that it should get on with something in the meantime, as this scheme only comes in in 2014."
He concludes:"The government is on the same page as us —now it's just about pace."
• For further details of the DIT's plans see next week's Analysis. • Following the completion of trials on the M42, hard shoulder running during peak hours is expected to be rolled out on other parts of the motorway network in a bid to ease congestion.
It has already been given the goahead as part of a £159m scheme to be implemented on the motorway box around Birmingham.
The FTA's external affairs director, Geoff Dossetter, says: "We do favour schemes of this type, though they mustn't be motorway widening 'on the cheap'."
A feasibility study is be undertaken to look at the possibility of other schemes across the UK.