Intelligent transport entrepreneur Neil Herron has told Highways News how “everything is coming together” to allow delivery vehicles to use technology to book their kerbspace, improving road safety, traffic management and air quality in towns and cities.
The Grid Smarter Cities founder (pictured) and CEO points to the imminent introduction of Digital Traffic Regulation Orders as the final piece in the jigsaw for his Kerb® Delivery product, which enables freight drivers to book their kerbside loading slots in advance, meaning no loitering in the carriageway or circling the roads and therefore reducing congestion and making roads safer for local authorities.
The solution won the Future of Parking prize at last month’s British Parking Awards, and Mr Herron hails this as highly significant, because it came out top against some very good technological solutions.
“It’s just a case of timing, and the timing’s right, with digital TROs coming in,” Mr Herron explained. “We’re in the perfect storm, which is decarbonisation approach to net zero operational efficiencies and air quality. All of this is coming together to make everyone realise that the kerb space, instead of being a first come, first serve, free for all, needs to be a bookable entity, or one that is managed, optimised and monetised, and everybody wins”.
The Kerb® Delivery solution is being used in a number of London boroughs in both physical bays and also Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs). VLBs are stand-alone digitally-created bays which require no physical signage or infrastructure. They are available at certain times in agreed locations where loading is usually prohibited. This means operators can load or unload without risking a penalty charge notice.
The Future of Parking Award was given for the implementation on Walworth Road in Southwark, and Mr Herron says the experience there makes it a worthy winner: “It’s become less chaotic, as we manage highways better urban realm and operators that can do more efficient deliveries,” he explains. “And they’re loving it, and the traders are loving it, and the council likes it because they’ve been the first movers in this space, and it’s shown the benefits to them from an air quality improvement perspective, and they’re looking to expand across the rest of the borough”.
Figures from independent transport and infrastructure consultancy Stantec which a 40% reduction equivalent in PCNs for operators and time savings for a single supermarket supplier would mean it could make up to 66 more deliveries a year. This, it says, adds up to a Benefit to Cost Ratio of 3.8 for Southwark in 2024 thanks to Kerb® Delivery. It also says that, with 26 weekly users delivering to more than 15 stores, the scheme has achieved utilisation rate of more than 80%.
(Picture – Grid Smarter Cities)
