§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies his Department has made to determine the proportion of private road and freight journeys which could be achieved on an equal basis by public transport. [63357]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonStudies of the potential for modal shift are usually carried out to inform decisions on investment in major public transport projects and to 431W monitor the effects. Examples of these and other recent studies carried out by the Department or in which it has been involved include:
- The M1/A1 (M) Corridor Road/Rail Cross Elasticity Study (May 1994)
- Manchester Metrolink Monitoring Study (December 1996)
- Sheffield Supertram Monitoring Study (expected 1999)
- The Trans-Pennine Rail Strategy Study (January 1992)
- Impact of Transport Policies in Five Cities (November 1994).
In relation to the potential for shifting freight journeys from road to rail, the Office of the Rail Regulator commissioned the following study:
The Potential for Rail Freight: A report to the Office of the Rail Regulator" (September 1997).In addition, the environmental benefits of reducing lorry journeys are taken into account in assessing applications for freight grants.