The penultimate piece in this series looks at maritime transport.
While it’s not the most commonly discussed transport method in Wales (at least prior to Brexit), it’s still vitally important to international trade.
Additionally, it’s one of the most legally complicated. Also, aside from rail infrastructure, it’s one of the largest areas of transport policy not fully devolved to Wales.
- While Brexit hasn’t had much of an impact (yet) on sea freight traffic, there’s been a substantial decline in the passengers using ferries between Wales and Ireland, not helped by the pandemic.
- The UK Government’s proposals for Freeports – zones created around major ports with different customs rules, planning rules and exemptions from import tariffs – have been criticised as potentially being a base of operations for money laundering and tax evasion.
- While some Welsh ports handle container and bulk cargo traffic, Wales doesn’t have a major “load-on, load-off” container port.
- Some rail branches to and from Welsh ports have either been abandoned, lost to development or are poorly maintained, which restricts their potential to be used to transport more inbound and outbound sea freight by rail (Part VIII).
- With a few exceptions, large chunks of Wales’ inland canal network are no longer navigable. Although funding for canals comes from both the UK and Welsh governments, most of the maintenance is done by volunteers working with charities like the Canal & River Trust.
- Long-standing proposals for regular passenger ferries linking settlements on either side of the Bristol Channel/Mor Hafren have so far failed to get off the ground (apart from a few seasonal expeditions).
- The legal situation around navigation rights on inland Welsh waterways is unclear, which may be hindering the development of tourism and inland watersports such as canoeing.
- While a decent number of cruiseliners stop at Welsh ports (particularly Cardiff and Holyhead) cruise terminal facilities are often very basic/underdeveloped.
- The threat to coastlines and ports from rising sea levels and climate change.
