Freight by Water sets Agenda for Change

Freight by Water promotes the movement of UK domestic freight and near-continental import/export by shortsea, coastal and inland waterborne transport. Established in 2003, it is recognised by Government as the UK’s official Shortsea Promotion Centre. Other speakers will include Simon Phillips, Construction Logistics Manager for London’s £15.9bn Crossrail project and Duncan Buchanan, Head of Sustainable Distribution Policy at DfT, who respectively will explain the importance of water freight and examine how the Government can support modal shift to water through special funding.

Tim Lowry, Chairman of Freight by Water, said, ‘Road congestion and the requirement to reduce carbon emissions have combined to put waterborne freight right at the top of the green logistics agenda. Business leaders and their logistics providers are demanding cost effective, greener alternatives to traditional modes of transport and water freight offers an immediate solution. At our Annual Seminar we will be highlighting how the movement of UK domestic freight and near-continent import/export by short-sea, coastal and inland waterways delivers a commercially and environmentally sustainable mode of transport.

‘Few realise, for example, that we have a network of over a hundred UK ports, providing a superb opportunity to transfer long haul lorry loads to the water.’

Ross Thompson Head of Development at Peel Ports will be telling delegates how the ports are adapting to future freight needs, whilst Managing Director of GPS John Spencer will give examples of companies already benefiting, commercially and environmentally from modal shift to water.

The event, ‘Water Freight – An Agenda for Change’, will be held at The Commissioners House, Chatham Naval Dockyard in Kent, on Wednesday 11 November 2009. Further details are on the Freight by Water website www.freightbywater.org