Pressure group floats new freight ideas
A NEW group set up to promote the transportation of freight by rivers and canalways has held a major event at Liverpool’s Maritime Museum.
Freight By Water held a day-long Modal Shift Forum yesterday promoting the increased use of waterways such as the Manchester Ship Canal as an efficient and environmentally friendly method for shipping goods.
The event received backing from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and major retailers includng Tesco (whose Manchester-based wine supplier already uses the Ship Canal) and Homebase. It also featured presentations by the Mersey Partnership’s Mark Butchard, Stephen Carr of Peel Ports, Andy Rickard of Liverpool Produce Terminal and Steve O’Connor of Stobart Ports.
Karen Chalmers, a senior supply chain analyst for IGD said: “In today’s complex and extended grocery supply chains, companies are recognising the environmental benefits that can be achieved by integrating alternative transport modes into lower environmental impact transport solutions.”
Freight By Water is a not-for-profit membership organisation representing ship, barge and port operators, exporters and importers, consultants and other maritime-related organisations.
Its executive director, Peter Ward, said that finding a viable alternative to freight transport by road “has become a priority for major companies – including the large retailers”.
He argued that there was a “demonstrable” demand for transporting more goods by waterways such as the Ship Canal.
“Now it’s up to the freight industry to put together a truly revolutionary but workable transportation mode based around water. This is a seminal opportunity to change the logistics landscape and create a virtuous circle for the future.”
