Memorandum submitted by the Commercial
Boat Operators Association (CCB 13)
1. WHO WE
ARE AND
WHAT WE
DO
1.1 The Commercial Boat Operators Association
(CBOA) is a trade association representing firms which carry cargo
and provide engineering services on Britain's inland waterways.
We have 175 members, including associates.
1.2 Department for Transport statistics
showed that 48.7 million metric tonnes were carried on the waterways
in 2005 including the inland part of major estuaries.
1.3 Cargoes carried include aggregates,
fuel oil, grain, rice, steel industry materials and products,
residual domestic waste, abnormal indivisible loads (such as power
station generators) and bagged domestic coal.
1.4 Many operators' craft can carry 500
tonnes or more—taking the equivalent of 25 20-tonne capacity
lorries off the road.
1.5 Water transport can play an important
role in reducing lorry traffic. It is far more environmentally
friendly:
— Emits 80% less CO2
per tonne kilometre than road haulage.
— Is a far better user of energy
resources
1.6 Road congestion is an increasing problem
for industry, regardless of pollution aspects. In congested urban
areas in the conurbations and elsewhere, water transport can help
to relieve congestion.
2. THE CBOA'S
EVIDENCE
2.1 As an Association we struggle to understand
the thinking that drives EFRA Ministers. The Secretary of State
has made it clear his own department and all government departments
have to do more to tackle climate change.
2.2 David Miliband has stated that DEFRA
must to develop more policies itself to tackle climate change
and yet, in his own department, he has failed to implement policies
that would make a significant impact now.
2.3 DEFRA has Departmental responsibility
for British Waterways who manage some 2,000 miles of navigations.
These include 340 miles designated for commercial use and which
link to the major estuaries. They also include long lock free
sections going through congested urban areas, such as London,
Birmingham and the Black Country, Liverpool and Coventry.
2.4 West Midlands officials put the cost
of road congestion at up to £2.3 million a year. As a result,
they have commissioned a study on how goods can be put back onto
water.
2.5 However, DEFRA has done nothing to encourage
British Waterways to get more goods off the roads.
2.6 This is evidenced by the closure of
British Waterways central Freight Development Department, which
the Committee heard evidence about in a recent Inquiry into British
Waterways and the impact on them of cuts in their grant from DEFRA.
2.7 At a meeting between CBOA and British
Waterways' senior management earlier this year, it was made clear
that the DEFRA cuts had made British Waterways close down their
central freight development activities; devolving to the regions
where no-one has freight use promotion as their sole job is no
replacement.
2.8 British Waterways' senior management
made it clear that unless the Government provided the money, they
could not provide the means.
2.9 It seems to the CBOA that there is little
point in the grandiose flagship schemes if you have not tackled
small but significant areas that are in your remit and do not
require legislation. An immediate action would be to reinstate
the funding required for the reinstatement of the freight marketing
team at British Waterways; this has been costed at only £150,000.
2.10 In its recent Inquiry into British
Waterways the EFRA sub committee heard evidence that waterborne
freight is six times more environmentally friendly than road borne
freight and yet the recent actions of DEFRA have led to more lorry
movements rather than more waterborne movements.
2.11 DEFRA must take a lead by incentivising
the Navigation Authorities and the private sector to use the inland
waterway network as a means to carry freight.
2.12 There is significant scope to increase
the amount of freight carried on UK inland waterways, much of
which would lead to an actual reduction in lorry journeys. Many
of these would be taken off our already congested city centres
or motorways.
2.13 In addition, it appears to us that
the Climate Change Bill does not consider how to reduce pollution
from the transport sector. This is surprising in view of David
Miliband's comments early in March 2007 that:
(a) transport emissions account for 24% of
CO2 emissions;
(b) transport emissions are rising faster
than any other industry, rising 10% between 1990 and 2004;
(c) rising emissions from road transport
are the main reason why the UK will fall short of its 2010 target
to get CO2 from 1990 levels; and
(d) rail and road transport should be included
in the EU emissions trading scheme after 2012.
3. IN CONCLUSION
3.1 The CBOA supports much of what is being
proposed within the Climate Change Bill. However, we do believe
that DEFRA should get its own house in order by taking some small
but significant steps within its own area of influence, such as
taking the lead before it starts agitating for others to change
their actions.
3.2 The CBOA would like to see the Bill
focus more on covering how transport emissions can be reduced
through investment in the use of water transport.
Commercial Boat Operators Association
May 2007
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