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rtc( P 'If rail infrastructure is developed, goods will become

4th February 1993
Page 47
Page 47, 4th February 1993 — rtc( P 'If rail infrastructure is developed, goods will become
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

cheaper' 4 m any hauliers claim that road transport is over-taxed and that this taxation should be reduced, it is wrong to say that the lorry way when all the costs to dded up.

In a rece t survey looking at the costs different methods of transport impose on society—environmental, health, accidents, air and noise pollution, increased congestion-Ht was shown that lorries pay only 23% of their cost to society: the taxpayer is subsidising the lorry.

However, I would not immediately increase fuel tax or the tax disc to recover all these costs as this would fail to take into account the drastic social costs that such a dramatic and sudden shift would produce. Sudden increases without the long-term investment in other transport networks would push up prices of m4ny goods and impose hardship on hauliers nd their employees.

Other factors have to be considered when deciding which method of transport to choose. Rai transport has a much lower energy use per passenger or freight kilometre but I believ pays its o society are and in grammes per tonne/kilometre produces less than a quarter of emissions in terms of pollutants such as carbon dioxide; 220 for road transport as opposed to 50 for rail. If rail infrastructure is developed,its lower energy costs will mean goods will become cheaper.

The conclusion must be that for a sustainable and long-term transport policy, rail must receive a greater share of Government investment to put it on a level playing field with road transport. Roads and road transport must gradually be made to pay for their true cost to society on the principle that the polluter pays.

The infrastructure required includes new rail lines to ports and airports, new rail depots and private sidings, new rolling stock and the development of combined transport and accompanying interchange depots. Tax increases could be phased in as such work takes place over a number of years.

Tax increases and other incentives to divert a significant percentage of current long-distance freight from road to rail must be accompanied by economic encouragement offered to hauliers who clean up existing vehicles and service the new freight depots. Grants should also be available to hauliers to diversify into other forms of transport such as developing the canal system and operating some of the new rail lines to industrial estates and terminals.

Great care must be taken to ensure human hardship does not result from these policies and that the social costs to individuals and companies are offset by benefits and grants to diversify into other industries or begin new community businesses.

There is no doubt that there will always be some role for road transport, particularly for the short distances to the nearest rail or other transport terminal. A policy of long-term investment in rail and alternative forms of transport to road can be introduced in this country without any great social hardship to those currently employed in the haulage industry. / If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane.


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