Getting Freight Off the Roads Onto Rail is a Non-Starter Says Just-Auto.com

    LONDON, Feb. 28 http://www.just-auto.com -- A new handbook
by the European Commission, entitled "Good practice in Freight Transport,"
aims to help road haulage companies and their drivers to work more
efficiently, save money, and shape up for the new era of congestion charges in
major towns and cities.
    just-auto.com has reviewed the main highlights of the European Commission
report at http://just-auto.com/features_detail.asp?art=449&app=1.  The report
carries a number of suggestions for the more efficient and environmentally
friendly use of trucks.  Moving more freight from road to rail is also a
policy objective.
    The report flags several 'green' ideas such as introducing edge of city
depots where large freight trucks can unload, leaving smaller trucks to
deliver the goods to urban areas at quieter times.  The handbook also
recommends that, where there is more than one delivery to be made in a certain
area, the same truck should make all of the deliveries, rather than sending
out one for each.
    Managing editor for just-auto.com, David Leggett, says that, although well
intentioned, the handbook just touches the fundamental problems of freight
transport in Western Europe.  The main aim is to use the railway network more
but Leggett foresees problems with this.  He says, "Massive investment would
be required to build a rail network able to effectively compete with a very
much more comprehensive road network.  The political will isn't there to spend
public funds on that and it is far from clear that the private sector would be
interested in taking up the slack."
    At the moment, with the exception of very long journeys, rail cannot
compete with road transport, which usually offers the best flexibility, lowest
cost and most timely solution on a full journey.

    For the full report on the new handbook see:
    http://just-auto.com/features_detail.asp?art=449&app=1

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