Saving Energy On Transport

 Transport takes a quarter of the energy used in the United Kingdom. Are there ways we can reduce this?

I think so. Here are a few thoughts on this, from the easy and most plausible to least.

1. Move back to click-and-collect. How much fuel is consumed driving from house to house to deliver small packages? Especially considering that engines have to either be idled or switched off, introducing inefficiencies. Shifting the last mile delivery back on to the customer, who can walk or bike or scoot to pick up their things, could save some fuel.

2. Push-on/push-off ferries. Like roll-on/roll-off, but linking the containers into trains so they don't require a truck to get them on the ferry. The rapid loading/unloading offered by this may open up the possibilities of using coastal transport and inland waterways a lot more, with trucks taking them short distances from the riverside to their destination.

3. Micro-containerisation. Another quick loading/unloading concept. If there are standardised racks on wheels, a cargo car could be added to passenger trains, with the goods being moved well within the dwell time at the station.

4. Autonomous canal boats. I said I'd get to less plausible options, and here it is. Britain still has quite a big network of canals, now fallen into disuse for cargo transport due to their small size. If canal boats could be automated, however, perhaps we can make use of them again, especially if joined together in boat trains like the Tom Puddings. This would of course require micro-containerisation to allow goods to be moved straight from boat to van and vice versa.

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