Browsing: Policy and legislation

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has said freight is key to the competitiveness of the UK economy in a new Department for Transport policy document published today (16th December 2008).

Government plans to inject an extra £1bn into transport infrastructure are too focused on the south of the country, according to PD Ports which runs Teesport in the North East.

PD Ports has invested more than a million pounds in three reachstackers along with the refurbishment of its ferry terminal amenity facilities at Teesport.

A strategy document from the Department for Transport has given long-term support to continued growth of rail freight. Derrick Potter, board member of the Rail Freight Group and executive director of The Potter Group, welcomes it.

Building a greener supply chain is not easy with conflicting views on carbon offsetting, food miles and biofuels. Technology can help – but so can a radical review of accepted practices.

Legislation on how to implement green measures, is not clear enough and the result is confusion and misunderstanding, according to a sustainability survey by office and refurbishment fit out specialists Overbury.

The FTA has launched a web site to promote its efforts towards environmental issues including carbon footprint and sustainability.

More than 7,500 distribution vehicles from 130 operators took part in a survey into the transport of food and drink last month.