Urban logistics
In recent years, the freight transport industry has been subjected to a series of circumstances and policies that have made the process of delivering goods and services to towns and cities increasingly difficult. The main issues that hinder efficient deliveries are:
- daytime road congestion caused by too many private vehicles
- red routes and bus lanes
- lorry bans and weight restrictions
- delivery curfews imposed by local authorities which restrict night-time deliveries
- congestion charging schemes
- punitive parking regimes
- lack of loading/unloading facilities
One of the most obvious ways of avoiding these barriers is to deliver goods and services 'out of hours'. This would alleviate many of the problems faced by transport operators and there would also be environmental and consumer benefits. Despite the delivery of goods being an essential part of commercial life, there are objections to the presence of large lorries in congested streets and complaints about noise, exhaust emissions and intrusion caused by delivery operations. FTA has been involved in several initiatives with Government and local authorities to look at how night-time deliveries can be approached for the benefit of everyone. Please see operator tools below.
FTA has also recently produced its own Urban Freight Agenda which has five key priorities:
- keeping the urban economy moving by cutting congestion on the roads
- improving air quality by reducing pollution
- making urban areas more peaceful places to live by tackling noise pollution
- supporting schools, hospitals, businesses and homes by delivering their vital goods
- working in partnership with local authorities and Government to deliver a better future
The Urban Freight Agenda was launched at FTA’s Urban Logistics Conference held on 11 March 2008 in London.
For further information, please click on the following links below