Move More Goods By Rail, Say Consumers
EIGHTY PER CENT of us want to see more goods going by rail or heavy lorries restricted, according to a new MORI survey commissioned by sustainable distribution campaign Freight on Rail.
Nearly half those surveyed (48 per cent) think the Government should give manufacturers more incentives to send goods by rail, with two in five (37 per cent) wanting the Government to encourage businesses to promote their goods as rail-freighted, even if this means that extra transport costs are passed onto consumers. By contrast, only 4 per cent would like to see heavier lorries on the roads, a view that flies in the face of the Government's likely move to allow an increase in the maximum weight of heavy goods vehicles from 40 to 44 tonnes.
The MORI survey results mark the launch of Freight on Rail, a new campaign working to get goods off roads and onto rail as an important step in developing a more sustainable distribution system.
Freight on Rail campaigner Tara Garnett says: "We move over 2 billion tonnes of goods around the UK each year, an amount that is set to grow. But people don't want heavier lorries. They want more investment in, and incentives for, rail.
"Rail is far greener than road. Road haulage accounts for 5 per cent of the UK's total fuel use and, with the projected exponential growth in traffic, its share is likely to grow: not a good sign given the Government's commitment to carbon dioxide reduction.
"But it's not just the environment that suffers from road haulage. HGVs account for 40 per cent of cancer-causing particulate emissions making road haulage responsible for many of the 24,000 premature deaths caused each year by road-related pollution. Lorries also contribute disproportionately to road accidents, accounting for nearly a fifth of all deaths in 1998/99. Rail is hundreds of times safer."
Tara Garnett says a shift to rail makes commercial sense too. "Our road network just can't cope any more. Congestion already costs UK companies around 16320 billion a year, and with van and lorry traffic set to grow by 44 per cent and 25 per cent over the next ten years, we're in danger of seeing business grind to a halt."
Allen Marsden of English, Welsh and Scottish Railway, the UK's largest rail freight operator, adds: "Rail is increasingly able to compete with roads in terms of flexibility, reliability and cost. The rail industry has made immense strides in the last few years. Its share of the freight market grew by 16 per cent in 1998/99, which itself saw a 12 per cent rise over the year before."
Bob Goundry of Freightliner, the UK's leading rail logistics provider, comments: "We seem to be far better at shifting our customers' goods than we are at singing our praises. Awareness of rail's advantages is still very low, particularly in local government, which has immense influence through the local planning system. Freight on Rail is here to change that."
The campaign's strength lies in the way it draws upon the breadth of its members' interests and expertise. As Richard Rosser, TSSA General Secretary, puts it: "Getting more freight off roads and onto rail will benefit everyone. That's why we've teamed up with employers and independent campaigners to get this vital message across."
Note: Freight on Rail is a partnership between environmental transport campaign Transport 2000, transport trade unions, freight-operating companies and the Rail Freight Group. It works to promote the benefits of rail freight both nationally and locally, advocates policy changes that support the shift to rail, provides information and help on freight-related issues, and campaigns more broadly for a distribution system that makes social and environmental, as well as economic, sense.
Technical details
2,078 interviews conducted in-home, face-to-face among adults aged 15+Interviews carried out between 20-24 January 2000, in 153 sampling points across Great Britain
