Increased charges will not drive vehicles off the road

An appeal from the BAR to the UK Government to reject the European Commission’s proposals
The Jones Lang LaSalle Freight Transport Survey, published in June 2008, backs up the opinion of the British Association of Removers that the European Commission proposals (Greening Package July 2008) to make road transport operators pay for the consequential costs of running their vehicles – such as congestion and noise pollution – will not serve to reduce congestion, improve the environment, or switch freight to rail. Instead it will simply increase the cost of road transport and, thereby, the cost of all consumer goods and services. The proposals will not help the current drive towards cleaner engines, lower emissions and more efficient freight transport in any way.

BAR believes that freight will need to be moved regardless of additional charges therefore to implement the European Commission’s proposals makes no sense at all. The BAR calls for parity of treatment for both rail and road services to allow both to develop equally to create a practical, sustainable transport policy.

Pricing vehicles off the road is unfair, unnecessary and won’t work. The Jones Lang LaSalle Freight Transport Survey, which assesses the likelihood of operators switching from road to rail transport as a result of rising costs and environmental concerns, agrees. “While road transport continues to be faster and more efficient than rail and the cost factor is not higher, operators will resist being pushed off the roads. As a result it is still too early to see operators moving a significant share of their freight to rail.”

For more on this article please visit http://www.bar.co.uk/