Further Information
Transport
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Policies & Issues
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| TRANSPORT |
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The vast majority of consumers use some form of transport to get to the shops – mainly by car – and easy access is now a critical factor in any retailer's competitiveness.
For multiple retailers with stores in town centres, as well as smaller chains and independents, this is an on-going challenge. A car-free centre may generate less carbon but if it also suffers from a lack of investment and retail decline, it will not be an attractive environment in which to shop.
Initiatives must be introduced to encourage use of a broader range of modes of transport, and not only in terms of cost. Retailers are concerned that the inappropriate introduction of congestion charging schemes and other traffic control measures can be a strong disincentive to visiting town centres.
It is essential that charging schemes are developed in partnership with local retailers and other businesses. With the high fixed costs retailers pay to trade in town centre locations, even the smallest variations in sales can have a disproportionate impact on retail profits and hence on investment and location decisions.
Many throughout the retail sector accept that some form of road pricing might gradually become the norm. The BRC is concerned that local authorities might use the opportunity to increase revenue or weak schemes will be introduced without effective stakeholder consultation. Therefore, the BRC has produced a road pricing toolkit. The toolkit helps retailers understand the potential impact of road pricing on their business and provides guidance on engaging constructively with local authorities that looking to introduce road pricing schemes.
The toolkit can be downloaded by clicking on the 'Town Centre Accessibility' link shown to the left.
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