Scottish Forestry said a £2.6m deal it signed to move hundreds of thousands of tonnes of timber by sea instead of road would not put HGV drivers out of jobs and would safeguard employment instead, writes Chris Tindall.
The three-year contract with Associated British Ports (ABP) involves shipping 225,000 tonnes of timber across the Firth of Clyde from Argyll’s forests to wood processors in Ayrshire, instead of relying on trucks.
Scottish Forestry said this will save around 2.2m lorry miles and nearly 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
It will also result in 9,750 fewer lorry trips along the A83 trunk road, including the notorious Rest & Be Thankful, which has been plagued by landslips.
