30/06/2009 - Growth of light vans to be studied
A 40% growth in the number of light commercial vehicles in the last 10 years means that there are now more than three million on the road. As a result, the Government is to study how the sector is organised and regulated, and how much it is likely to grow in the next few years.
Primary factors will be congestion, road safety, the impact on the environment of increased CO2 emissions, and which areas might need to be researched. Says Richard Turner, former boss of the Freight Transport Association: "There remains a real lack of knowledge about this sector which is often unloved by motorists, pedestrians and regulators."
He is leading the study on behalf of the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT), pointing out that LCVs now account for 9% of all vehicles and 13% of all miles travelled. He says: "The study will also plug some major gaps in our knowledge of this flexible business tool, so that policy makers in both Westminster and Brussels can make informed decisions without harming the vital role that vans play in our economy."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Related links
|
