Haulage slips
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ROAD HAULAGE'S share of the EEC's transport market will slip further this year while a higher percentage of the traffic will be carried by rail, according to a new forecast by the EEC Commission.
The annual forecast from Brussels for the total freight tonnage between the ten member states in 1985 is for an increase of 6 per cent to 478.3m tonnes.
This is slightly lower than the growth rate experienced last year when the estimated figure was 7.1 per cent and tonnage carried reached 451.2m tonnes.
In recent years, road transport's share of this business has constantly shown the highest growth rate in the EEC. Rail and inland waterways suffered, mainly because of the recession in the coal and steel industries meant a decline in these bulk consignments.
Last year saw the first reversal of this situation when, according to the EEC figures, road's share fell from 42.9 per cent to 41.8 per cent and the other two modes scored marginal gains.
This year Brussels expects that road's share will slip further to 41.5 per cent and the waterways will drop from 43 per cent to 42.6 per cent.
But the railways are seen to be further increasing their share of the market to 15.9 per cent.
Total EEC tonnage entering Britain in 1985 is expected to increase by 7.3 per cent to 6.8m tonnes while the outward flow is put at 3.8m tonnes, representing 0.6 of one per cent growth.