The abolition of quantitative controls on road freight transport: the end of an era?

Abstract

Over the past decade, the deregulation of the road haulage operations at both national and international levels has gathered momentum, particularly within the European Union. This paper assesses the effects of this removal of quantitative controls and examines the justification for the remaining constraints on own-account operations and for the 'financial standing' requirement that new operators must meet. It also examines the case for re-imposing quantitative licensing in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of road freight transport.