An award-winning kerbside management scheme on one of London’s busiest high streets is delivering significant benefits for operators, local authorities and the environment, according to new independently verified analysis.
The Kerb® Delivery Scheme, operated by Grid Smarter Cities on Walworth Road in Southwark, has been assessed by global, sustainable design and engineering consultancy, Stantec, with findings suggesting the five-bay pilot is already driving measurable improvements in efficiency, compliance and cost savings.
The assessment shows that in 2024 alone the scheme contributed to a 40% reduction equivalent in Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for operators using the bookable loading bays. Its report suggests this improvement in compliance is matched by operational gains, with its analysis indicating that a single supermarket supplier could make up to 66 additional deliveries per year thanks to time saved through more efficient kerbside access.
For the local authority, it appears the benefits are also clear, with the Stantec report estimating the scheme delivered a Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) of 3.8 in its first year.
The findings reinforce earlier feedback from Southwark Council and industry stakeholders that digitally managed, bookable loading bays can play a key role in reducing congestion and improving the reliability of urban logistics.
Looking ahead, Stantec’s modelling suggests that scaling the scheme across Southwark to 32 bays could unlock £126,394 annual saving in fuel costs, 181 additional delivery drops enabled each year, and £33,067 in annual PCN savings. The projected Benefit Cost Ratio rises to 6.4, alongside a 2.1 percentage point increase in operational efficiency.
The wider potential impact across the capital is even more striking. “Our analysis indicates that scaling digitally managed kerbside solutions across London could enable around 21% more deliveries annually while reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 15,000 tonnes,” explained Tim Hapgood, Senior Associate at Stantec. “The assessment also highlights the potential to save more than three million hours currently lost to inefficient delivery activity, cut freight mileage by around 20 million kilometres each year and remove the equivalent of 12,600 cars from the capital’s roads.””
“The results add to growing evidence that smarter kerbside management, supported by digital booking systems, can deliver tangible benefits not just for freight operators but for the wider transport network,” added Grid’s Sales & Partnerships Director, Toby Hiles. “With pressure mounting on urban road space and increasing demand for deliveries, schemes like the one on Walworth Road are being positioned as a scalable solution to balance efficiency, sustainability and access in busy city environments.”
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.
Grid Smarter Cities has also developed a two-sided e-ink digital sign to go on the kerbside which integrates with the platform to display the booked vehicle’s details – its registration number and time slot.
(Picture – Grid Smarter Cities)
