Freight Transport Association

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is a general trade lobby rather than a construction / transport lobby: its members are mainly freight users, including retailers, wholesalers, and primary and secondary industries, from IBM to ICI, from ARC to Asda. Though a member of the BRF and a keen supporter of the roads programme, the FTA is less active in lobbying for roads than in trying to prevent, change or initiate haulage legislation. Its biggest success has been to raise the lorry weight limit from 40 to 44 tonnes. Interestingly, this coincides with a BRF campaign for a national bridge strengthening programme; it will also favour road freight over rail economically. FTA also lobbies to increase lorry access to city centres (including use of bus lanes!), to prevent tighter vehicle environmental standards, to reduce road tolls, vehicle excise duty and other taxes, to deregulate cargo handling practices and to cut "bureaucracy" (or accountability?). It has over 300 staff.

Addresses: British Roads Federation, Pillar House, 194-202 Old Kent Road, London SE1 5TG tel. 0171 703 9769 fax 0171 701 0029 Freight Transport Association, Hermes House, St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9UZ tel. 01892 526 171 fax 01892 534 989 Road Haulage Association, Roadway House, 35 Monument Hill, Weybridge, KT13 8RN tel. 01932 841 515