Government has no truck with haulage IT systems

The UK government has come under attack for failing to invest in road haulage IT systems, which could dramatically reduce pollution and cut traffic congestion.

Isotrak - a provider of automated transport management systems - criticised the government's failure to invest in a national haulage management network which it says would reduce the number of empty lorries clogging up Britain's roads.

The scathing attack came just hours after Lord Macdonald, Minister for Transport, outlined where the £280m his department was given in Gordon Brown's budget is going to be spent.

Craig Sears-Black, commercial director at Isotrak, said: "Isotrak is very disappointed in the way the government is investing the extra money in transport. It could have encouraged the use of technology to improve the efficiency of road freight transport."

He added: "Lorries are empty because controllers don't know where they are and what they're doing. Technology can increase efficiency and achieve the goals set out by the government in its manifesto."

Richard Horswill, divisional managing director at Tibbett and Britten - a haulage firm which controls more than 12,000 trucks - told Silicon.com that although he's glad the government is waking up to the use of technology, he's disappointed his industry won't see any investment.

He said: "Technology does make things better. Savings in fuel is just an example of what it can do, and it meets the requirements for improving the environment."

Research house, Harris Research, last month polled 160 MPs and found that 42 per cent would like to see grants offered towards installing technology in haulage vehicles.