The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK (CILT UK) has welcomed several significant statements from today’s spending review but adds more must be done to support future growth.

Highlights

- Extending the £3 bus fare cap will help the bus industry and passengers alike – ensuring the public continue using buses and see them as value for money.

- Improving tram networks across the North and the West Midlands will help further boost local transport networks and attract more passengers towards trams.

- Plans for a northern powerhouse rail from Liverpool to Manchester will support quicker and greater links between the two major cities.

Supporting future growth

Director of Policy and Communications for CILT UK, Daniel Parker-Klein said: “Today’s announcement recognises the essential role transport, logistics and supply chains play in underpinning Britian’s renewal, with long term infrastructure investment a crucial foundation. 

“However, we also believe that the government should focus spending on small scale projects within logistics and transport to ensure the UK stays competitive on the international stage and support changing and increasing pressure on supply chains.”

For example, electrifying just three miles of railway from London Gateway – the UK‘s fastest growing container port – at a cost of less than £10m, would allow trains to be hauled by electric locomotives all the way to Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Sue Terpilowski, Chair of CILT’s Public Policy Committee, explained: “The Chancellor also announced an acceleration in social house building. To achieve this and the building of new homes means having the infrastructure in place to ensure construction materials can be supplied to such large-scale projects up and down the country. Fundamentally we need a freight plan which will help tackle supply chain efficiency and productivity challenges.”

Daniel added: “We are here to give our sector a voice and want to continue to work closely with government to provide advice and guidance on how we can boost economic growth through efficient transport and logistics. We also look forward with interest to the Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies which are to be published later this month.”

Today’s announcement is a step in right direction, and we look forward to continuing to work with government to help grow and support our sector.