Kerbside management company Grid Smarter Cities has signed a deal to deliver an innovative new project with Westminster City Council to better manage the access and dwell times of freight operators.
The London council and technology based solutions provider will deploy two Electric Vehicle bookable loading bays in central London. The bays will be situated in densely populated office and retail areas, which have previously been identified as key delivery hot spots. Using Grid’s Kerb® Platform, the bays will be able to be booked in advance by freight operators with an electric van via an app and online platform, the delivery can then be completed on foot or by cargo bike.
‘’We are excited that Westminster is going to deploy Grid Smarter Cities’ Kerb Platform to help unlock the benefits of the kerb to support efficiencies for commercial freight operators, while helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality,” commented Neil Herron, CEO and Founder of Grid Smarter Cities. “This is a monumental leap forward for councils, enabling the use of technology to dynamically monitor and manage loading bay activity and access within our urban spaces. Kerb gives authorities visibility of micro kerbside behaviour and transactions for the first time, providing key data and analytics for future city prioritisation and improved permissions for operators.
“It is essential that innovation helps accelerate the transition to EVs in order to deliver ambitious Borough level and national government targets.’’
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality at Westminster City Council, added: “Westminster City Council is absolutely committed to expanding and improving green transport infrastructure, and we’re very excited to launch this new initiative with Grid Smarter Cities to support electric freight distribution vehicles in Westminster.
“This is just one of the ways we’re working with our partners to develop innovative solutions that keep our city moving, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions and cleaning up air quality.”
Grid’s booking platform allows freight operators to book loading bays in advance, in slots ranging from 30 to 90 minutes duration to encourage onward delivery completion by foot or cargo bike – unlocking many benefits in greener, safer deliveries within the capital. This initiative will run for an initial 18 months from the end of October. Only pre-registered delivery operators can use the bays. For more information and to sign up to the scheme, contact [email protected].
Mr Herron explained the technology on a recent Highways Voices podcast. The solution has also been used in Southwark.
(Picture – Grid Smarter Cities)
