Freight - the big picture
- Freight is a major part of the UK economy. UK industry spends £72 billion per year on transporting goods by road and rail. This is broadly equivalent to the economic output of the Czech Republic in 2005. (98 billion Euros = £66.2 billion)
45 per cent of everything we spend on transport is spent on moving goods rather than people
- In transport policy terms, passenger and freight transport should receive equal priority;
- For most freight, road is the industry’s preferred mode of choice. Sixty three per cent of the UK’s freight is moved by road, representing 82 per cent of goods lifted (2005)
- Over the last 20 years international freight tonnes lifted has grown more quickly than domestic freight tonnes lifted, largely driven by the growth in international air freight
66 cars are registered for every goods vehicle over 3.5 tonne
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