Robert Keen, speaking as Director General on behalf of the trade association that represents the UK’s freight forwarding companies and logistics service providers says his members will be waiting to see whether all the borrowing and spending that has been outlined in Wednesday’s UK Budget actually happens.
“Until it happens, it is all spin and noise.
“Whilst the investment in road transport infrastructure might make a difference to our members’ activities, we should not forget that back in November 2015, the then Government announced that funding would be provided for the largest road investment programme since the 1970s.
“I am not sure that the country’s network of A roads and motorways has become significantly less congested since that announcement.
“BIFA has said repeatedly that it is imperative that new road building and road reconstruction projects are not only implemented, but developed in such a way as to maximise their functionality to the BIFA members, which as freight forwarders, use them to move Britain’s visible domestic and international trade.
“Hopefully this talk of infrastructure investment will not be just talk and we will see some spades in the ground.
BIFA is also concerned about how the spending commitments outlined in today’s budget statement might be affected by a no-deal outcome and then end of this year in the negotiations between the EU and the UK.
“Speaking on behalf of BIFA’s members, which facilitate much of the movement of the UK’s visible exports and imports, we are concerned that any negative economic consequences of no-deal outcome could make today’s announcements unsustainable.”
