Conference backs water transport
June 21st 2010 The case for moving more cargo on the River Thames is growing, according to Joseph Dack of Transport for London.
Speaking at the Modal Shift conference held in London at The Chamber of Shipping by industry body Freight by Water, Dack said: “We are breaching legislation with regard to air quality issues, while growing congestion is impacting on journey speeds and reliability of delivery times.
“Water freight is clearly recognised in London’s transportation strategies, policies and plans, which provides a framework for ‘modal shift’. However, we can’t do this without the engagement of the industry and unless that happens, the future is unsustainable.”
Peter Ward, executive director of Freight by Water called on major retailers and manufacturers, as well as the leading logistics providers to play their part.
“The role of Freight by Water is to set an agenda for change, identify the key drivers and recruit willing partners,” he said.
Retail giant Sainsbury’s, which has taken a strong lead in exploring possibilities of modal shift to water in London, and sister retailer Homebase both contributed to the event and offered strong support for the Freight by Water initiative.
Kevin Greenaway, national planning manager at Sainsbury’s, spoke of the challenges and complexities involved, but reiterated the company’s firm commitment to add water to its portfolio of transport following the success of trials centred around its Wandsworth store.
“There was no damage and deliveries were made on time,” he said. “The project worked well and was well received by all at the store. Our ambition for the future is to be able to scale up to deliver to fifteen stores around London, moving ambient product on a daily basis. There is buy-in for this at all levels, from the warehouse manager to the chief executive.”
Nick Gazzard, chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics Sustainable Distribution Strategy Group and CEO of Incept, added modal shift would be driven as much by oil prices as by the climate change lobby. More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
