FREIGHT TRANSPORT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM

This article examines the concepts of 'sustainable development' and 'sustainable mobility', and considers what types of direct policy measures for road freight could effectively reduce the environmental damage that it causes. Cost benefit analysis could be modified to take account of sustainability by: (1) less emphasis on time savings; (2) more explicit valuation of environmental factors like noise and air pollution; and (3) use of construction cost estimates that include optimal environmental protection. Positive measures are needed to change modal split by heavy rail investment and improved rail services, but are unlikely to be sufficient. The following measures for road freight transport can reduce environmental damage: (1) optimal technical standards; (2) good maintenance programmes for vehicles in use; (3) more efficient market organisation; and (4) optimising vehicle sizes. In addition, more fundamental longer-term strategies should be examined, including the possibility of reducing the demand for goods transport by increasing its prices.