Govt releases goods vehicles figures

Date: 24/5/2012

There was a decline in the number of goods vehicles that travelled to Europe from Britain in 2011.

This is according to new government figures, which showed the figure fell by two per cent in the year to the first quarter of 2012 compared with the previous 12-month period.

Overall, 2.44 million goods vehicles travelled from the UK to the mainland in the timeframe.

While 1.8 million of these were powered vehicles - a fall of one per cent on the previous year - 643,000 were unaccompanied trailers.

Some 91 per cent of powered vehicles disembarked in France, while 52 per cent of unaccompanied trailers disembarked in the Netherlands.

The government noted: "87 per cent of powered vehicles travelling to mainland Europe used the Dover Straits Port Group, which includes the Channel Tunnel."

Earlier this month, the Freight Transport Association released the latest edition of its European Road Transport Guide, providing fleet operators with advice on driving in the continent.

Posted by Mary Treen