Scottish hauliers are not impressed...
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• Rural Scottish hauliers have given a lukewarm reception to the Government's Scottish Transport White Paper, despite its pledge to expand financial support tor rural transport. Travel Choices for Scotland, which was launched two days after the UK White Paper, says it will build on the £13.5m allocated this year, including £400,000 which is intended to support Scotland's rural fuel stations.
Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne will get £20m to fund two new vessels from 2001; one as a relief ship.
Scottish Freight Transport Association regional director Bob Armstrong says: "The relief vessel is welcome; it has been a problem when one of the vessels broke down."
But Arran Haulage Services boss Donald Ballantine says the Government should give Cal-Mac subsidies to hold fares which are "crippling hauliers around here".
Other features of the White Paper closely mirrored the decisions taken in the UK White Paper.
Local authorities will be able to charge tolls for entering towns. Secretary of State For Scotland Donald Dewar says such charging, including trunk roads, would be unlikely before 2004 or 2005.
Another £1.5m has been earmarked to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail, The Freight Facilities Grant scheme will be extended to include coastal and short-sea shipping and inland waterways.
Scottish Transport Minister Henry McLeish says freight moved by coastal shipping could reduce the demands on "unsuitable rural roads".
An additional £58.6m of public money will be spent on roads and maintenance.
0 Bob Armstrong warns that Scottish operators will be "financially disadvantaged" by the move to 41 tonnes as they are 'further away from the main marketplaces of the Midlands, the South-East and Europe". • The Road Haulage Association has hailed one subsection of last week's White Paper—improving roadside facilities for lorry drivers"—..as a victory for its campaign in January to save traditional truckstops. The Government has promised to publish, best-practice advice on improvii. facilities for lorry drivers, including parking, toilets, showers and food.