Transport

Freight
22 April 2010

Relatively rich developed countries like Wales manufacture, consume, import and export a growing quantity of essential and non-essential products.

Rising freight traffic is caused by:

increasing consumption
the longer distances products are being transported
more frequent deliveries of products ordered at short notice (known as 'just-in-time' delivery).

A high proportion of freight is currently moved by road. This causes many problems including:

Road freight, like road traffic, does not fully pay the wider costs it imposes on society and the environment.

Friends of the Earth Cymru supports policies to encourage a shift of road freight to rail and sea.