The consultants considered Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association rates. The suggested rate reflects a cost of £20 plus £1.80 per mile for a 10 metre vehicle which is broadly comparable with the data provided by those organisations.

The current fare structure on the CHFS network is based on the length of the vehicle. It is clear there is a strong correlation between the length/weight of the vehicle and the cost per mile of running that vehicle. The consultants recommend that the fare per mile for CVs and buses continue to reflect the length of the vehicles carried on the vessels but also reflect the running cost of the vehicle. The new fare would then be a rate per metre per mile.