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Canal plan won't float
Page 10
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PLANS BY SCOTTISH transport chiefs to encourage the transfer of goods from roads to canals have been branded a waste of time by hauliers.
Last week Scottish Transport Minister Nicol Stephen said: "With Scotland's roads getting more congested and the Working Time Directive kicking in next month, operators will now get more help to start shipping services by water."
Hauliers are not convinced. One says: "It's a bit like asking us to start using airships... it's not going to happen."
Phil Flanders from the RHA adds: "They'd be better spending the money encouraging people to get out of their cars. If it's going on a canal it's still got to be on a truck at either end. To be honest, it's a waste of time.
The new operating grants,which cover short sea routes and inland waterways, are designed to complement the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme, which helps provide capital investment funds for ports and railheads.
The grants will be available moving freight by water in the UK, but will only last for three years. Applicants will have to make a business case that their service can be self-supporting after that.