Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management) wants goods to be transported less often by road and more often via inland navigation and goods trains in the coming years. A 40-million-euro boost should ensure a so-called modal shift.
This is stated in the Goods Transport Agenda that the minister sent to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. This agenda contains agreements made with the Top Sector Logistics and the Logistics Alliance on more efficient and cleaner freight transport. Besides modal shift, investments are being made in digitalisation to make transport smarter from A to B.
Modal shift through freight corridors
According to van Nieuwenhuizen, an average barge can take 150 trucks off the road. "If more containers and bulk goods are transported via inland shipping and goods trains, there will be more space on our roads. "To promote this modal shift, freight corridors are used. Within these corridors, different transport flows can be efficiently linked, freight combined and capacity better utilised, the minister said.
Digitalisation and cleaner freight traffic
The Goods Transport Agenda also pushes for further digitalisation of transport. For instance, within freight corridors, data exchange takes place between traffic management systems and vehicles in order to make optimal use of available means of transport. For instance, if drivers have information on, for instance, environmental zones and window times, they can plan their trips in a more targeted way.
Cleaner freight traffic should be achieved through optimal use of available modes of transport and the sharing of digital information. This can prevent trucks from driving completely or partially empty or ships from sailing empty back to port. Setting up zero emission zones for vans and trucks and the sustainability label for barges should also shape cleaner freight traffic.
Logistics Alliance responds positively
The Logistics Alliance, an alliance of 18 parties in logistics, has already responded approvingly to the Goods Agenda. Last week, the Logistics Alliance presented its vision 'Trade and Logistics in 2040' to minister Van Nieuwenhuizen. This plan aims to ensure that the supply, removal and delivery of goods is 'state of the art' green, safe, people-friendly and affordable. According to the parties, the Goods Agenda answers that call.
"With this agenda, the cabinet has set the direction on how we will together make the logistics system ready for the future. We are going to use innovation to make storing and transporting goods even safer, more efficient and more sustainable. And that is going to touch everyone's lives, because logistics questions are everywhere," responds Steven lak, chairman of the Logistics Alliance. "Now it comes down to good cooperation between the business community and the governments involved in further implementation."
