This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Lewis MacDonald launches freight partnership
28/08/2001
The Deputy Transport and Planning Minister Lewis Macdonald today welcomed a new freight partnership which will encourage efficient movement of freight goods in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Speaking in Aberdeen today, as he launched the North East Scotland Freight Quality Partnership (NESFQP), Mr Macdonald stressed the importance of this partnership and its contribution to the Scottish Executive's target of improving the sustainable distribution of freight and relieving congestion on Scotland's roads.
The NESFQP aims to encourage and improve the sustainable distribution of freight in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire by bringing together interested parties from the public and private sectors to promote best practice. It is the first such partnership in Scotland.
The Minister said:
"I warmly welcome this initiative as a first for Scotland and I hope it will be the forerunner of similar partnerships in other parts of Scotland. The vision of the Freight Transport Association (FTA), local councils and other parties in forming this partnership is to be commended.
"The Scottish Executive is committed to promoting and developing sustainable and efficient freight distribution across Scotland, especially in areas of such national economic importance as the North East.
"At national level, the Executive is working with the FTA and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to promote greater sustainability in the freight industry. This NE initiative points the way to developing similar partnerships between public and private sectors at a local level.
"One of the aims of the partnership is to explore further the transfer of freight from road to rail and sea. The Executive's highly popular Freight Facilities Grant Scheme has been doubled and extended to cover coastal and short shipping routes, and we are well on the way to meeting our target of removing 18 million lorry miles from Scotland's roads by March 2002."
BACKGROUND
- The members of NESFQP are:
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeen Freight Agents Association
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Aberdeen Harbour Board
Federation of Small Businesses
Fraserburgh Harbour Commissioners
Freight Transport Association
North East Scotland Rail Freight Development Group
Peterhead Bay Authority
Peterhead Harbour Trustees
Road Haulage Association
Transform Scotland
- A freight partnership already exists in Aberdeen City but the North East Partnership marks a major step forward as it is the first Scottish joint partnership covering a large geographical area and different modes of freight transport.
News Release: SE1985/2001
28 Aug 2001