• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Focus ▶ Urban operations ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE? Our cities are becoming more and more congested with pedestrians, cyclists, cars and trucks wrestling for space. Louise Cole looks at how operators can change their methods of operation to alleviate costs, service customers more effectively – and keep the councils happy! rban logistics has never been is, therefore, between a rock and a hard sive moves in how urban planners and more demanding. The UK’s place – and there is little evidence that local authorities are viewing the freight cities are a political battle- either surface will become more yield- industry. While freight will probably ground of conflicting need ing in the near future. In November the never enjoy the political attention Uwhen it comes to road sharing, cus- London Assembly voted unanimously that more voter-pleasing demograph- tomer demand, air quality, economic for an HGV ban during rush hour and ics achieve, there is a recognition that and population growth and increas- Mayor Boris Johnson has subsequent- economic growth, expanding popula- ing numbers of vulnerable road-users ly tasked Transport for London (TfL) tion densities and significant shifts in (VRUs). with assessing the pros and cons of a consumer demand for deliveries will HGV usage in London – often a ban or additional charge. gridlock London – and other cities – if The issue of night- testbed for transport policy – has re- Mayoral candidates have also called not controlled. time deliveries has mained broadly static regardless of for ‘tougher rules on HGVs’ or a sur- Traditionally, town planners have gained political road charging, progressive emissions charge on diesel vehicles in an attempt tried to mitigate the effects of trucks. approval as a means limits and policies such as the London to price them off the road and so im- In future we will probably see greater of separating HGVs Lorry Control Scheme (LLCS). Yet prove air quality, despite the fact that attempts to reduce urban mileage – from vulnerable HGVs are seen as politically undesir- road transport is a service industry and through consolidation centres and road-users and able because they are large, diesel- therefore must absorb cost rather than last-mile projects – to retime deliver- improving congestion burning and disproportionately dan- retreat. ies and to mitigate the remaining and and pollution gerous to VRUs. The freight industry There are, however, some progres- inevitable peak-time truck presence. Consolidation centres Camden Council led a European- funded four-council initiative last year to have council deliveries consolidat- ed at a centre in Edmonton by DHL and taken on in larger, fewer loads. This was funded by last-mile initia- tive www.lamiloproject.eu which has identified the final leg of deliveries as being of crucial importance in urban logistics, particularly as population densities grow and consumer demand for speedy delivery to home or office intensifies. The pilot study by Camden, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Islington, which only involved deliveries destined for council buildings, gave a 46% reduc- tion in the number of vehicle trips, a 45% reduction in kilometres travelled, 50 Roadway April 2016 Urban operations ◀ Focus Top tips for urban haulage l Engage with the process of planning. Make friends with your local authority freight department, offer opinions and experience. Do not assume they understand the operational challenges you face. l Use telematics, routeing and scheduling software and urban-friendly vehicles to optimise mileage. Collect the data and use it to argue your case for political support. l Periodically check for grants or trials into alternatively- fuelled vehicles, last-mile projects or retiming pilots. European funding and UK government funding have both been available for air quality and urban engineering projects. l If you have several clients in the city centre, see if they have any interest in a shared consolidation facility. a 41% reduction in carbon dioxide this will only work for commuters pre- between 7am and 1pm. Furthermore, Above: The growing (CO2), a 51% reduction in nitrogen pared or able to carry their own goods some goods are unsuited to having the home deliveries oxides (NOx) and a 69% reduction in home. deliveries retimed from early morning, market has boosted air-borne particulate matter (PM). Politically, there are three main is- such as fresh foods. the number of vans Consolidation centres have also sues concerning freight: the number Operators are encouraged to apply in London, now five been successfully deployed for Regent of vehicles and how they contribute to to their local authority to reschedule times the total of Street deliveries and the EU’s Bestfact congestion; the safety implications of specific contracts and the Retiming HGVs project’s 2016 guide to the 157 effective road sharing between commercial ve- Deliveries Consortium, comprising re- strategies for urban logistics includes hicles and vulnerable road-users such tailers, councils, trade associations and Gnewt Cargo’s Southwark consolida- as cyclists; and the impact of diesel the Noise Abatement Society, is run- tion centre, which groups parcel deliv- vehicles on air quality. ning trials and giving advice. eries and sends them into London in its The Low Emission Zone has not Night deliveries are a complex 50-strong electric van fleet. had sufficient impact on air quality, calculation financially. Parking fines Consolidation centres are also used and indeed the very high levels of NOx disappear, which can save transport for the Earl’s Court development site in Oxford Street recently were blamed companies thousands per month, and to streamline construction deliveries. on the concentration of diesel buses. roads are clear which gives shorter Chrys Rampley, RHA’s manager However, the ultra-low emission zone journey times. The process is compli- of infrastructure and security, says the planned for 2020 is projected to al- cated by the London Lorry Control introduction of consolidation centres most halve emissions of nitrogen oxide Scheme (LLCS), however, which adds are useful where there is supervision to (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10) miles to many journeys. Rampley says: control deliveries, adequate access and in central London. “Using two rigids instead of one artic parking for trucks and where loads can Retiming, once anathema to Lon- can save money if the route becomes genuinely be consolidated into more don Boroughs which stalwartly de- much more direct; it is a case of doing efficient movements. However, there fended residents’ right to undisturbed the maths. It would help greatly if we are difficulties if insufficient numbers sleep, has finally gained political ap- could achieve more flexibility with the of retailers or recipients buy into the proval as a way of separating HGVs LLCS though.” schemes in the long term. Rampley from VRUs, and improving congestion also makes the point that centres which and peak-time air quality. Currently The monstrous regiment break down loads to be shuttled into 30% of rush-hour traffic is freight but There are complications which will urban centres in smaller vehicles do this drops to 17% if averaged over the continue to clog London’s streets for not ease congestion. day. Retimed journeys can work well freight vehicles, however. There has Consolidation centres, driven by for services such as laundry collection, been a trend since pre-congestion those taking receipt of goods, will only commercial waste removal and even charge days for rigids to downsize into be half the battle. The other half will road repairs. vans; and currently there are five times be the need for widespread consistent Construction, food and drink and as many vans as HGVs in London. drop-off points for consumers. Deliv- service vehicles make up 75% of This figure will grow, driven by the ery hubs for consumers might become morning rush-hour London traffic. 13% growth in the UK home delivery more significant, such as Doddle which Currently only 15% of freight jour- market in 2015 (Metapack Delivery allows parcels to be sent or collected neys are at night, primarily because Index 2015) with its one billion–plus from train station bureaus. However, customers want deliveries or services parcels, and the increasingly tight time ➔ April 2016 Roadway 51 Focus ▶ Urban operations S&J European Haulage Urban trailer design is also improving manoeuvrability and allowing some hauliers to double-shift cabs between urban deliveries by day and motorway trunking at night. Melton Mowbray-based S&J European Haulage runs a specially designed Cartwright unit to manage tight corners and accesses. It’s a tandem-axle urban trailer with two SAF steering axles, complete with a remote control unit which enables the driver to steer the axles from within his cab. The steering system was provided by Dutch company VSE. S&J needed a 10m body but also to access a wide range of urban and construction sites. Cartwright says the new trailer offers greater versatility and a better payload than the alternatives. Pictured right: windows offered to consumers. TfL has started a £4bn improvement Paragon Software The trend towards more numerous scheme to London’s ageing infrastruc- Systems’ MD, lower-weight vehicles might appear ture, including four more cycle super- Will Salter: urban politically welcome but is regressive in highways, intelligent signalling systems optimisation is more terms of load optimisation, congestion which prioritise groups of cyclists or achievable with and compliance. Vans are minimally pedestrians, and multiple road and detailed mapping regulated and the e-commerce parcels junction upgrades. Emmerson argues and careful interface market has encouraged greater use of that extensive cycle lanes have simply with GPS systems self-employed, non-vocational drivers. reprioritised road space, although the The e-commerce generation is now industry says HGV capacity has been being offered at not only same-day lost. but one-hour delivery. Store-collec- tion specialist Shutl is being joined in Routeing software almost-instant delivery by Amazon Routeing and scheduling software has Prime Now (APN), in selected Lon- been one of the ingredients of optimi- don postcodes.

Load more

  8

Copy Link