No regional trials for out of hours deliveries says DfT
Logistics CEO disappointed that no further trials of out of hours deliveries are planned outside London despite the fact that projects outside the capital may offer the best chance of developing best practice.
This information published today is revealed following a Freedom of Information request by logistics business, Advanced Supply Chain. CEO Mike Danby maintains this decision is a mistake.
Transport for London has promised a number of new trials of using night-time deliveries to tackle congestion after a series of pilot projects during the 2012 Olympic Games were found to have reduced congestion, cut carbon emissions and improved fuel efficiency without generating any residents’ complaints.
These followed a number of separate trials around the UK as the logistics industry sought to find ways to minimise disruption caused by out of hours deliveries.
Now, the Department for Transport has conceded that, while trials are planned in London, no such schemes are planned in any other part of the country – despite the fact that lower ambient noise levels outside the capital mean provincial schemes are better suited to developing relevant best practice that could be rolled out nationwide.
Mike Danby, chief executive of Advanced Supply Chain, said: “Out of hours deliveries offer a range of incremental benefits not only to businesses, but for motorists and other road users.
“Reducing congestion by taking lorries off the roads during peak times will improve road safety and air quality, as well as driving efficiencies for retailers and other businesses that rely on frequent deliveries.
“The logistics industry has moved on significantly since the 2010 trials. Companies are using more powerful technology to improve pick rates and drive efficiency on the roads, but we can’t rely on computers to deliver all the improvements the sector needs to make.
“Providing the industry can find a workable standard that can be rolled out nationwide, out of hours deliveries could make a significant difference to thousands of businesses and the economy. The will is there from businesses, but we need Government support to drive the next set of trials.”
The 2010 trials were carried out as part of the Quiet Deliveries Demonstration Scheme and involved testing deliveries to six different retailers in London and in towns across England.
The outcomes of those trials were then incorporated into a Code of Practice ahead of eight more trials – later judged to be a “stonking success” by London mayor Boris Johnston – around key routes in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Since then, Transport for London has announced it will work with the freight industry to deliver more trials during early 2014, but following a Freedom of Information request from Advanced Supply Chain, the Department for Transport admitted it had no plans for further trials outside the capital.
Related posts
