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Tom Dodds on transport matters »The transport industry tends to just quietly get on with things. Yet while it's getting on with the task of moving people and goods around the world, there could be a revolution going on.
The signs are that we could be seeing a considerable amount of what's known as Modal Shift.
Flying back from our holiday, other than the three of us in our seats, each adjacent row had only two seats taken. It looks as if the credit crunch has really impacted on tourism this year, with more people opting to holiday at home and forgoing the annual flight to the sun.
Fuel costs are forcing firms to review their transport arrangements. The balance is slowly tipping in favour of shipping over road and air freight. Coupled with the worldwide economic slowdown, shortsea shipping could be about to come to the fore, particularly when it comes to moving white goods and other non perishables across Europe.
High fuel costs might well be taking lorries off our roads, and when the economy picks up, much of that traffic is looking very likely to switch to much more fuel efficient shipping and rail routes.
By the same token, bus and train operators are reporting that ridership is on the rise, as the costs of fuel, parking and taxes make public transport more attractive.
In many ways, it's been a painful summer. Hopefully, we'll reap the benefits in years to come.
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