Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland
Indicator 15. Travel: industry
Freight intensity (relationship between tonne kilometres moved and Gross Domestic Product)
Year | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
Road freight moved by UK HGVs on journeys originating in Scotland (million tonne kilometres) | 11,909 | 12,121 | 12,426 | 12,995 | 13,965 | 14,163 | 14,236 | 14,856 | 14,988 | 14,817 | 14,425 |
Road freight moved by UK HGVs on journeys originating in Scotland (1995=100) | 85.3 | 86.8 | 89.0 | 93.1 | 100.0 | 101.4 | 101.9 | 106.4 | 107.3 | 106.1 | 103.3 |
Scottish GDP (Gross Value Added for all industries; 1995 = 100) | 92.1 | 93.4 | 95.7 | 98.1 | 100.0 | 102.3 | 105.4 | 107.4 | 109.7 | 111.7 | 112.6 |
Freight intensity (1995 = 100) | 92.6 | 92.9 | 93.0 | 94.9 | 100.0 | 99.1 | 96.7 | 99.1 | 97.8 | 95.0 | 91.7 |
Source: Department for Transport and Scottish Executive
The relevance of the indicator
Encouraging more freight to be lifted by other modes will help to reduce traffic on our roads.
Detailed definition and source details
The indicator is derived from figures for the total "volume" (in tonne kilometres) of road freight moved by UK heavy goods vehicles on journeys originating in Scotland. These figures, produced by the Department for Transport and published annually in Scottish Transport Statistics35 (Table 3.3), are used to produce an index. The value for each year in this index is multiplied by 100 and divided by that year's value of the index of Scottish Gross Domestic Product, in order to obtain the "freight intensity" index shown in the chart. The GDP index used in these calculations is an updated version of the "Gross Value Added" series for all industries 36. Tonne kilometre figures for road freight moved by UK HGVs on journeys originating in Scotland have been obtained from the Department for Transport for the years back to 1990.
Trends
The "freight intensity" index indicates how the "volume" of road freight (measured in tonne-kilometres) has been changing relative to the "volume" of the Scottish economy as a whole. For example, the value of the freight intensity index will rise if the volume of road freight increases more rapidly than the rate at which the Scottish economy grows, or if the volume of road freight rises while the Scottish economy contracts, or if the volume of road freight falls less rapidly than the Scottish economy contracts. The index rose in the early 1990s, fluctuated between 1995 and 1998, and has been falling since then. Therefore, since 1998, the volume of road freight moved on journeys originating in Scotland has declined relative to the expansion of the Scottish economy.
Further disaggregation
The Department for Transport estimates are produced from sample surveys which collect details of the journeys made by only 50 or so different Scottish heavy goods vehicles each week. Therefore, it is not possible to disaggregate them other than by types of commodity carried and, very broadly, by origins and destinations of journeys (in terms of regions and countries). It is not possible to provide separate estimates for "urban" and "rural" areas 37.
Target
To make Freight Facility Grant Scheme awards that will transfer 21 million lorry miles per year on to rail and water by March 2003 and a further 4 million lorry miles per year by March 2006. This builds on the 18 million lorry miles per year achieved by March 2002.
Action
We actively encourage sustainable freight transport by rail and water. The Freight Facilities Grant Scheme is designed to reduce road traffic congestion and pollution arising from transporting freight by road, which is clearly the main means of transporting goods in Scotland, by addressing the commercial imbalances which exist by assisting with initial capital costs. We have achieved our March 2002 target of making awards that will transfer 18 million lorry miles per year off our roads on to rail and water, and we are on target to transfer a further 3 million lorry miles per year by March 2003.