Government must introduce a national multi-modal freight strategy to ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and boost the UK’s economy, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has urged.

 

The group points out that currently two thirds of the country’s population lives within 240km of Liverpool Port. But 91% of the country’s deep sea goods enter or leave the UK via either Southampton or Felixstowe.

 

This, it is estimated, means that in total around 240Mkm are driven unnecessarily in lorries every year, causing increased road congestion and creating 0.2Mt of needless CO2 emissions.

 

As a result the association highlights the urgent need for a strategy to incentivise optimum use of the country’s infrastructure and better co-ordinate the transportation of goods.

 

“A national strategy which looks at the entire range of transport methods used to deliver freight would have the potential to ease congestion, improve air quality and boost the economy – as well as making travelling and commuting more agreeable for the public as a whole,” said the engineering group’s head of transport Philippa Oldham.

 

In addition it estimates that up to 30% of all road haulage vehicles on UK roads are empty and highlights the requirement to make more co-ordinated and efficient use of air travel for freight.

 

♦ This week has also seen businesses in the north of England urged to take the lead in developing a long term plan for the Northern Powerhouse.

 

Think tank IPPR North and the Royal Town Planning Institute have launched a blueprint for this proposed ‘Great North Plan’, which has been designed in consultation with more than 300 northern businesses.

 

“The Government has the right destination in mind with the Northern Powerhouse, but letting it be driven by Whitehall rather than Northern businesses risks taking us in the wrong direction with a piecemeal, partial and parochial approach,” said IPPR North’s director Ed Cox.

 

“Now is the time for business leaders to have a bigger role in making the Northern Powerhouse a reality.”

 

(Photo: Transport for London)