Concerns raised about cost of snow to Scottish freight industry

Date: 10/12/2010

An industry body has highlighted concerns about the costs incurred by vehicle operators in Scotland's recent travel chaos resulting from heavy snowfall.

The Freight Transport Association urged the Scottish government to be better prepared for further severe weather conditions over the coming weeks, highlighting the fact that a single stranded HGV can cost businesses around £400 a day.

Chris MacRae, Head of Policy for Scotland at the organisation, said while the expenditure is high for vehicle operators, "the knock-on impact of aborted commercial deliveries to businesses and - of course - consumers, make[s] this cost far more significant."

Although it is too early to put an exact figure on the price of the disruption, winter weather has certainly "wrought a heavy cost to Scotland's economy," he added.

Northern Ireland has also been badly affected by recent snowfall, with Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority Noel Brett reminding drivers to remain vigilant on the roads as melting ice can still be hazardous.

Posted by Mary Treen