TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION
OECD International Conference, Vancouver Canada

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Session 3a - Industry and the Global Economy - Trade-Related Challenges

Abstract of address by Derek Scrafton

The Economic and Environmental Challenges of Freight Movements, Particularly in Cities

Any strategy for sustainable transport must take account of, and reflect, the changing significance of urban transport journeys: the fact that freight trips, non-home based trips, and linked trips for a variety of purposes are now at least as important as CBD-bound journeys to work.

The demands that lead to freight movements are increasing in all geographic spheres - in urban areas, rural regions, across national transport networks, and on international land, sea and air links. However, whereas non-urban freight traffic is shared amongst all modes of transport, urban goods are carried mainly by road-based modes: from ancient times by people (on their heads, shoulders and backs), by horse and cart, on modified tricycles, and in more recent times by trucks, buses, courier vans, bicycles, motorcycles, and in the boots (trunks) and on the back seats of cars and taxis.

This paper considers the economic significance of goods transport, particularly in urban areas, identifies the challenges of accommodating a freight task that will be much greater in volume and number of movements than today's cities experience, and outlines the transport technology and land-use planning required to facilitate urban freight movement.

The paper is based on research commissioned for three major Australian inquiries undertaken in the l990s: the Industry Commission Inquiry on Urban Transport; National Transport Planning Taskforce; and the Economic Planning Advisory Commission Taskforce on Private investment in Infrastructure

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