Logistics can help Government deliver better Scotland

The Association today extended its congratulations to Nicola Sturgeon on the successful re-election of the SNP Scottish Government and to all new members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

FTA’s Head of Policy for Scotland Chris MacRae commented: “FTA believes there are three key areas from a freight and logistics perspective that the new Scottish Government should tackle immediately to help make Scotland a better place to live and work.”

First FTA says the Government should act to improve the resilience of key transport infrastructure such as the Forth Road Crossing, given the chaos caused by last year’s closure due to structural problems. The bridge was shut to HGVs for several weeks over Christmas while repairs took place, adding extra time and cost for operators at their busiest time of year.

The second is to develop trade routes including M8/M80/M74, A9, A96, Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, A1 to the English border and the A82. Also to facilitate rail freight development by investment in East Coast Main Line loading gauge clearance for bigger containers to the Scottish central belt.

The third is to support out-of-hours urban freight deliveries, with attendant benefits for congestion, safety and the environment.

Mr MacRae added: “The Scottish Government must remember how crucial logistics is to Scotland. Scottish society relies on logistics – 425,000 tonnes of goods have to be moved by lorry every day in Scotland to keep the shelves in our shops stocked, the restaurants full of food and medicines in our hospitals. And as this is just lorries, even more is needed each day by van, rail, sea and air. Logistics is vitally important to everything the Scottish Government wants to achieve.  

“FTA will be looking to meet key MSPs and Ministers to discuss how by working with the logistics industry, the new Scottish Government can continue to reduce accidents, improve resilience, reduce emissions and help the Scottish economy grow while keeping the cost of living down.”

FTA’s Freight manifesto for Scotland outlining key issues can be downloaded here: http://www.fta.co.uk/_galleries/downloads/fta_councils/regional_freight_councils/scotland/election-manifesto-2016-scotland.pdf