Earlier today Road Transport Blog asked if anyone listened last night to the Radio 4 broadcast Costing the Earth: Keep on Trucking which posed the question - could there be a way to cut down emissions from freight transport?
Well here is a potted summary...
It makes a change to hear an intelligent documentary on road transport broadcast by the BBC with some of the voices of the industry making salient points as to how road transport delivers for the UK economy. You cannot argue with the closing statement by present Tom Heap that the UK has lorries because as an economy and society we are addicted to the convenience they deliver.
First up is William Stobart - a predictable voice for road transport but one with no less gravitas. He tells Heaps that rail freight accounts for 4% of the goods it moves and he believe that the company can get that up to 10 or 15%.
Furthermore he believes the future is in longer vehicles, no suprise there then, and that empty vehicles should have to pay tax for doing so.
We move on to the Road Haulage Association's Geoff Dunning...
... who mounts a sturdy defense of the industry's green credentials. He says that with fuel being so expensive (the tax alone is 30p per mile) that hauliers are used to running as efficiently as possible. He believes the industry has taken its role in the carbon debate "very seriously".
Up next, to make road transport blood boil, is Freight by Rail - who argues that there is "not actually a level playing field between the sustainable modes and road transport" and then goes on to call for more rail freight subsidies. Best to move on...
The under-secretary of state for transport, Paul Clark, then says the government absolutley wants to see more freight going on low carbon alternatives: "It is not about 'road is bad'" he stresses, "but having alternatives that are there in terms of the big issues; reducing the carbon footprint and getting congestion off the road."
The rest is devoted to an advert for return loads service shiply.com. Presenter Heap is astounded that return loads services exist - despite the fact there are hundreds and have been running for years. Never mind.
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Comments (1)
"Who really thinks there is anything mankind can do to stop natural earth cycles of heating and cooling?" I suppose some people think they can STOP natural cycles, but why would a rational person not think a cycle could be either aggravated or ameliorated.
Posted by Web Design Kent | February 23, 2010 1:22 PM
Posted on February 23, 2010 13:22