Discussion on Paper 9

Mr P. A. Mayo, National Freight Corporation

There is not just one problem as far as lorries in towns are concerned: there are several problems. For example, a lorry going through a small town or village on what happens to be a trunk road is one problem. A lorry delivering in the centre of a large conurbation is another. They are different problems, and the answers are likely to be different.

2. The problem of lorries in towns should not be confused with the choice of road against rail against waterway. It is significant that the company within the National Freight Corporation which has the greatest number of environmental complaints against it is Freightliner, which is a rail-based company. The reason is that Freightliner terminals are all placed at goods yards, in the centres of towns, and the large lorries which deliver these larger containers cause annoyance to people living around. Consideration of alternative modes of transport over long distances must also involve consideration of how goods are to get from the rail head to the ultimate consumer.