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No 'green' incentives for haulage is a crime
Page 12
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HAULAGE FIRMS are being overlooked by the government over the issue of green incentives Despite the enormous potential for reducing the carbon footprint of the transport industry, very little is being done to incentivise either owners or drivers.
There are plenty of carrots on offer to tempt people to go green, but none are coming the way of hard-pressed hauliers and courier companies.
They are being left out in the cold to struggle on their own against a backdrop of rising costs. increased foreign cornpetition and tightly-squeezed profit margins.
Financial assistance
While the government is happy to dish out a range of rewards to encourage householders and businesses to take up assorted energy-saving measures, nothing is being done for road transport. A haulier has more chance of receiving a grant for cavity wall insulation at home than they do of getting financial assistance for cutting the carbon footprint of their fleet.
Instead, they are consistently being dealt a bad hand by those in power. especially having to endure the highest fuel duty in Europe. Something is wrong.
Road transport accounts for a large chunk of the UK's carbon emissions, and if the government is really serious about cutting those by 80% by 2050 then it needs all sectors to pull together.
It is time that the government gave the transport industry a hand to go green — rather than just offering advice.
Hauliers and other transport firms are being left to find their own incentives for going green.
One example of the way in which hauliers can help combat climate change while cutting costs and increasing profits is to eliminate wasteful journeys where vehicles run half-full or empty.
By using a real-time exchange. they can ensure every journey counts. 'this reduces the carbon footprint of the goods being transported as well as making the operation more cost-effective.
Energy efficiency
The companies that belong to our exchanges can increase their profits by making sure they're not running vehicles around the UK that are virtually empty.
Indeed, it is an ethos which brings back the old adage used by the former Road Haulage Association chairman Stephen Norris:"If the wheels ain't turning. you ain't earning!"
An exchange mechanism is a win-win for all concerned and there are no hidden costs. Member companies pay by subscription after choosing from a selection of service levels. But even taking a simple measure to cut carbon waste such as this doesn't attract any government support.
Where buildings are concerned, though. it is a very different story.
Indeed. the latest government idea to encourage businesses and home-owners to install energyefficient heating is promising a return of 12% on investment.
Transport companies would be delighted to see a return such as this While all the effort to sort out our housing, offices and other buildings is admirable, it is galling that not one penny appears to be coming into the transport industry to encourage it to be green. •