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POSITIVE FUTURE
Page 20
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I write in response to the recent comments of Paul Laeremans, president of the International Road Transport Union ( CM14-20 Feb).
By its very nature, Raiffuture is concerned with the promotion of rail as a cost-effective and environmentally sound method of freight transport. However, even our organisation is not necessarily "overtly anti-road transport". This can be demonstrated to good effect by our freight committee, who have always sought dialogue with compank in the freight field, undertaken through numerous governmer and local authority consultatio documents on freight-related matters, ranging from bulk materials to the transport of dangerous chemicals, both in conventional nail transport an' combined (road/rail and/or water/rail) mode.
We also recognise that in any transport mode a detrimental impact on people and the natural environment is present to some degree. Like others, including an increasing list of prominent political bodies, we believe an efficient transport supply chain from th producer/supplier to the end user or consumer is only achievable by a sustainable policy framework, integrating; multi-modal approach on a number of key issues.
The availability of 'environmental' performance data to support the case for rail is undiminished by Laeremans' comments and this is supported by a series of statistics or emissions ant other issues, including the effect of lorries on road traffic accidents nationally, and the damage to roads, highlighted within the road maintenance budget.
Opponents of rail cite it as a marginal player, often based on a historical perception. However, this is a simplistic approach and can gloss over the imbalance facto that has undermined an integrated UK transport policy over many years.
The reality is somewhat different, as a planned investment programme in railway infrastructure is in progress and the efficiency an( quality of the rail product is moving in a positive direction.
With the social and environmental cost generation of our distribution system iecreasingly exposed by various 'non-transport parties' the need to diversify away frort a core activity is not deemed a; unthinkable and many roadbased companies have already woken up to this fact.
Gary %soy,
Raiitture Freight Committee, London.