In its Freight Transport report published last week, the Committee says it cannot be left to the market to provide solutions to issues of competition, the need to reduce congestion on the roads and environmental concerns; the government needs to provide more strategic direction.
In particular, the Committee wants to see more done to encourage goods to be sea freighted around the UK instead of being dropped at southeast ports for transporting north by road transport. This would require improving infrastructure to the Northern ports.
MPs are also calling on the government to resume efforts to address the long-running competitive disadvantage faced by UK hauliers as a result of the relatively high fuel taxes levied in the UK.
The Committee has also warned that Network Rail must not treat freight as the poor relation.
Transport Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: "The Government has embraced the idea that, if the freight industry is left entirely to the market, a system resulting in the perfect, most efficient transportation of freight will emerge. However, that approach ignores other priorities, such as regional regeneration, employment, the wealth gap and the environment. The Government should not be a helpless bystander."
He said it is now urgent for the government to produce an environmentally-aware and business-friendly freight strategy that assists the national and regional economies.
Shipping: It is not sustainable to make ever-increasing investment in infrastructure to cope with demand in the South East, although it might temporarily mitigate the congestion caused by demand for new capacity.
Instead, the government needs to recognise that supporting port infrastructure in the regions assists regional regeneration as well as reducing congestion.
For instance, if all the container traffic destined for the north of England that passes through Felixstowe were to be transported by coastal shipping, two billion tonne kilometres of freight would be removed from road and rail.
Furthermore, the inland waterway network run by British Waterways, which is sponsored by Defra, should become a Dept for Transport responsibility, so that it can become a serious part of the strategic transport network.
MPs also want to see rail and water freight compete on an equal footing by having the same access to the Sustainable Development Fund.
Road: A method must be devised to remove continental hauliers' competitive advantage over their British counterparts. It is patently unfair that UK hauliers are disadvantaged by high levels of taxation on fuel, eight years after the government announced proposals to address the problem.
The Road Haulage Association estimates that UK hauliers pay between ₤10,000 and ₤15,000 per HGV more on fuel duty than their Continental counterparts.
And the situation is set to get significantly worse with the rising cost of oil and the fact the European Union is trying to remove restrictions on freight transport operations carried out within one member state by hauliers from another EU country.
Regarding after-hours deliveries, the Committee would like to see a relaxation of blanket delivery bans.
Air: The Committee supports the government's efforts to secure the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, noting that UK airfreight increased by 40% in ten years from 1995, and wants the government to publish a timetable of when this could occur.
MPs also want the importance of UK airfreight operators' competitiveness with European rivals recognised, and warn that the UK economy could suffer if UK airports become less attractive than the major Continental airfreight hubs. There has been some evidence of UK-based companies trucking goods to and from continental airports.
Rail: The Committee wants attempts to improve freight operations treated with as much urgency as proposals relating to passengers. While there were examples of freight being transferred to rail, MPs heard that the cost of rail is prohibitive.
While Network Rail might aspire to improve the service it offers to its freight customers, it does not appear to have much of an idea of how to go about doing so. The Committee wants to see Network Rail publish a strategy for improving performance for freight.
