Government pulls FBP funding
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THE DEPARTMENT for Transport (DIU) has confirmed that it will pull the funding for its Freight Best Practice (FBP) operator advice scheme from April next year.
Transport minister Mike Penning says:" Due to financial restrictions, we will not continue Freight Best Practice and Van Best Practice in their present form beyond April 2011.
'However, we do recognise the value of these schemes and that is why we are in discussions with various interested parties about the prospect .of the private sector taking them forward. In any event, the INT aims to continue to make the programmes' contents available for industry to usc and build on."
Discussions between the UT and various industry and private sector bodies including the current provider Aecom have been ongoing for several weeks. However, they have foundered on the fact that without state funding operators will need to pay for the presently free service.
Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, says that while the information provided by FBP has been valua
ble for the industry, he remains sceptical that the scheme can continue. He says: "People are used to getting everything they have ever had from FBP for nothing.
"You have to either find funding to carry that on or persuade people to pay and I'm not terribly optimistic about either of those."
Dunning explains that the RH A would be keen to get involved with FBP but "we have no resources to put into it".
A spokesman for Aecom adds: "The future direction of the programme is still uncertain, th erefore we are unable to comment at this time."