COMMENT
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
LEAVE IT TO THE MARKET!
Road hauliers are well used to being plagued by legislation and taxation. But now, it seems, a new piece of legislation might actually liberate them slightly. We refer, of course, to the much-anticipated but as yet unconfirmed increase in permissible vehicle weight to 44 tonnes. So Albright & Wilson's announcement this week that such a move would make it rethink its plans to switch a million tonnes a year to rail must be put in perspective (see page 4). Of course a million tonnes is a lot of freight, and removing freight from the roads is a worthy environmental target. But it's precisely because of the need to cut back on road usage for practical as well as environmental reasons that the 44-tonne limit is crucial. It is well documented that a 44-tonne limit will make for more efficient, more cost-effective road transport. No-one could argue with the environmental benefits of taking an estimated 480-million lorry miles a year off the road, with projected fuel savings of 300-million litres a year and annual savings to industry of £300m. So it's hard to take seriously any suggestion that the Government should shy away from such a move simply to avoid harming a fledging railfreight market. Rail's appeal to potential users isn't wholly dependent on the size and shape of its competition. What about the quality of service it offers, its pricing structure, and its reliability? If the Government wants to encourage the use of rail, it should find a means of doing so that doesn't involve tying hauliers' hands behind their backs while preventing them from running more cost-effectively. It remains to be seen how other firms will react, but the Government's role must be to help make both modes more efficient and let the free market decide.