News

MPs have urged the government to examine the possibility of introducing a carbon tax to encourage haulage businesses to transfer freight on to the country's waterways.

Less than 1% of domestic freight in England and Wales is currently transported via water and the organisation responsible for maintaining the inland waterway network, British Waterways (BW), has been criticised for its lack of commitment to increasing this figure.

A  report from the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee says BW has had some high-profile success with its decision to allow delivery of up to 7,000 tonnes of construction materials a day to a future Olympic site by water, removing around 140,000 truck journeys from the roads. Sainsbury's has also held successful trials of transporting food by water to some of its stores (CM 12 July). However, hopes that the Olympics could be a catalyst for the further use of waterways in this way have floundered.

BW says that increasing freight movements on water would cost it more than £1m annually due to dredging and manning locks. It also says it remains uneconomic for companies to make the modal shift.

The select committee says: "We recommend the government conducts a review to examine the possibility of introducing a carbon credit scheme to encourage more businesses  to move onto the waterways."

Waterways Minister Jonathan Shaw says: "We will now work with British Waterways closely in carefully considering the committee's recommendations, but I can say straight away that I'm committed to ensuring there is good communication and effective working relationships between Defra ministers and officials and British Waterways."

BW chairman Tony Hales adds: "British Waterways and DEFRA are committed to working together to secure the continued and sustainable revival of the waterways and their future contribution to the wealth, health and wellbeing of communities across the country."