'Motorway of the sea' welcomed

Proposals to move goods on ships from ports such as Swansea and Pembroke Dock instead of lorries have been welcomed by Friends of the Earth Cymru.

The environmental organisation, which is opposing plans to build a costly new dual carriageway from St Clears to Haverfordwest, believes that greater use of shipping would ease congestion and pollution on the roads and bring economic and job creation benefits to the Milford Haven waterway.

The proposal, which has been called a "motorway of the sea", is being considered by regional authorities in Wales, France, Portugal and Spain which are fed up with large numbers of lorries and other vehicles speeding through their communities while contributing little to the local economies.

The research for the project is being co-ordinated by Professor Stuart Cole of the Wales Transport Research Centre at the University of Glamorgan and will be finalised in December. Professor Cole has predicted that many new jobs could be created in loading and unloading ships, servicing vehicles, warehousing and other activities.

Gordon James of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"We welcome these proposals as they offer environmental and economic benefits to south west Wales. Taking freight and other traffic off the roads would reduce the pollutants that are causing climate change and harming human health and would improve the quality of life for people living close to the main roads. The economic benefits that this plan would bring to ports, such as Swansea and Pembroke Dock, would also be widely welcomed. The opportunity of greater use of the railways in moving goods to and from the ports should also be developed."

Friends of the Earth have been in touch with local Members of Parliament and Welsh Assembly Members seeking their support for the "motorway of the sea" proposal.