Transport pulls ahead in first quarter figures
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• The transport industry is enjoying greater growth than many other sectors of the economy, according to figures released by the Government.
Provisional information on the country's Gross Domestic Product for the first three months of the year shows growth from the transport sector outstripped the economy's traditional engine—manufacturing industry.
The Government said the transport, storage and commu nications sector—which includes road, rail and air transport as well as other service industries—continued to grow in the first quarter but output from the production industries remained broadly flat.
For the economy as a whole in January, February and March, GDP was up 3.9% on the same period last year. Output in the first quarter of this year was up 0.8% on the last quarter of 1994.
Further evidence of an economic upturn for road transport operators has surfaced in a Department of Transport report published last month. According to the report, the Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport, lorries carried record levels of freight last year. In what the DOT called the "highest ever annual figure recorded", 138 billion tonne/kilometres were moved by commercial vehicles in 1994. That figure, which represents a 7% rise on the previous year, was 6bn t/km up on the previous peak recorded in 1989.
The report says the trend from own-account transport to hire or reward haulage continued. "By 1994, own-account work had fallen to 39% of tonnes lifted and 27% of total tonne/kilometres," says the DOT.