<p>A jump in box imports through Port of Brisbane has contributed to the increase of port-related truck traffic, Port of Brisbane said.</p> <p>Port of Brisbane business development manager Greg Hinton told the Courier Mail that the changing nature of the port’s business was behind the increase truck traffic at the port.</p> <p>Drought-affected commodity-based exports such as cotton and grain normally brought in on rail had decreased, Mr Hinton said.</p> <p>Container throughput had increased at the port from 432,000 boxes in 2000 to 639,000 in 2004, the paper reported.</p> <p>The comments follow accusations from Federal Transport and Regional Services Committee chairman Paul Neville that the Queensland Government was discouraging then use of rail in the port.</p> <p>Mr Neville said Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics figures showed rail’s share of freight in the port had dropped from 23% in 1998኿ to 12.9% in 2003በ.</p> <p>QR has disputed the figures, saying rail’s share of Brisbane port freight was 12.9% in 2002቟ but 19% in 2003በ.</p> <br />