Waterway cargo up 9%
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Inland Waterways
Article Date: 2006-12-05
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The amount of cargo carried on Britain's inland waterways rose nine per cent last year, according to new figures released yesterday, as the UK's aquatic arteries become of increasing importance to the UK economy.
In 2005, seagoing as well as non-seagoing traffic carried 49 million tonnes of cargo on Britain's waterways and they were busier than in the previous year with non-seagoing traffic increasing by 31 per cent, according to figures from the Department for Transport.
The figures are likely to add fuel to those who are currently campaigning against the government's £9 million cut in funding to the country's canal system this year.
Craig Haslam, chairman of the Lee and Stort branch of the Inland Waterways Association - a voluntary group – told the Hertfordshire Mercury that the cuts are "putting our rivers and canals at risk". He continued to argued that the effects of the slash in funding "could be disastrous".
By far busiest UK waterway was found to be the Thames, lifting 19 million tonnes last year while the second busiest, Scotland's River Forth, lifted 8.5 million.
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