MPs warning over haulage industry

Hauliers protested in a slow drive along the M4 motorway in June 2008

Ministers must do more to help British hauliers compete against lorry drivers from the Continent, MPs have warned.

A Transport Select Committee report says UK haulage firms are paying thousands of pounds more for fuel than their European counterparts.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said that the government should not be a "helpless bystander" but instead should address high taxes on fuel.

The Department for Transport wants to get more freight onto the rail network.

'Wealth gap'

The report said that the government was too slow to help road hauliers, who it said transported 70% of all UK freight.

It calls on ministers to produce a clear plan which is good for both the environment and the industry.

It is now urgent for the government to produce an environmentally-aware and business-friendly freight strategy Louise Ellman MP

Additionally, it argues that goods containers should be shipped directly to the north of England rather than going through Felixstowe, Suffolk.

If regional ports were used instead, the MPs said, billions of tonnes of freight would be removed from the roads - reducing congestion and pollution.

"The government has embraced the idea that, if the freight industry is left entirely to the market, a system resulting in the perfect, most efficient transportation of freight will emerge," Ms Ellman said.

"However, that approach ignores other priorities, such as regional regeneration, employment, the wealth gap and the environment.

"It is now urgent for the government to produce an environmentally-aware and business-friendly freight strategy that assists the national and regional economies."

The Department for Transport said that it was looking at ways of getting more freight off the roads.

A spokesman said the government was "not complacent", adding that rail freight had increased 47% in the last 10 years.

"While responsibility for the provision of freight services and the management of supply chains in the UK rests with the private sector, the efficient and predictable movement of goods is central to the success of the UK economy," he said.

"Last summer's White Paper set out the government's plans for carrying double the current level of freight on the network, including the development of a £200m Strategic Freight Network."