Call For Out-of-hour Freight Deliveries

For the sake of road safety and congestion Cities are being urged to take pro-active action to help reschedule freight deliveries at off-peak hours.

The 2012 Olympic Games showed how London could continue to flow at a normal pace just by forcing haulage companies to operate out of busy hours.

Now we are experiencing similar spiralling demand on city roads Transport for London (TfL) have released a report called Getting the Time Right. The document was launched at the world’s first ‘Quiet Cities’ summit in London and hopes to rally councils businesses and freight operators to collaborate and reduce local disruption by rescheduling deliveries.

Cllr Phil Jones cabinet member for regeneration transport and planning at Camden Council said: “Demand for deliveries continues to grow during peak hours and can have significant negative impacts on our local communities. I welcome the opportunity to trial how supermarket deliveries can be retimed to find the best solutions for local residents in light of local conditions.

“Councils need to work in partnership with TfL to ensure businesses act as good neighbours in our local communities.”

London’s transport commissioner Sir Peter Hendy CBE argued that while a two million person increase in London in 15 years will need to be met by freight “moving delivers to the right time will make the difference improving road safety and relieving pressure on congestion”.

Town halls have been urged to start planning new infrastructure developments around low traffic deliveries times to avoid later action when congestion inevitably increases. Local authorities were reminded that putting restrictions of large good vehicles will force the industry to use smaller vehicles in larger volume of journeys.

90% of London’s freight journeys are made on London roads therefore the TfL’s Modernisation Plan have been actioned to improve safety efficiency and environmental impact of such movements.

Tim Slater managing director of transport UK & Ireland at DHL said: “By sharing best practice and innovative technologies such as our new concept vehicle retiming of deliveries to out of the peak can become a reality; ensuring reliability easing congestion and improving road safety.”

.

.

Follow me – @philctadams

Let’s talk – phil@highwaysindustry.com

See my LinkedIn profile

Written by Phil Adams