Delivery on the 10 Year Plan - The verdict of the freight transport industry

Supporting UK Trade

Although the 10 Year Plan focuses on surface transport, it recognises that major ports and airports are important strategic transport hubs servicing domestic and continental hinterlands. The investment plans it contains do not incorporate investment in ports and airports, the majority of which is private sector money. However, delivering better access to ports and airports, especially those where demand is expected to grow, is an important objective of the Plan. Transport problems linked to access to ports and airports are being investigated by some Multi-Modal studies and are also covered in the SRA’s Strategic Plan.

Congestion around the UKs airports and ports is reaching critical. The M25 around Heathrow remains one of the most congested motorways in Britain according to Trafficmaster, with the peak period often lasting until 11.00am. The Association of British Ports predicts that British ports will run short of capacity within four years unless urgent action is taken to increase space. Congestion at ports hit the headlines last Autumn when some companies introduced surcharges to cover their costs. In addition to this, shippers are reporting turnaround times of five to six hours. Some shipping lines are quoting five day lead times and some have stopped taking bookings altogether.

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Last updated: Wed Jul 21 14:21:20 2004