Electric Vehicle delivery drivers in the heart of London will be able to use a new online booking system to remotely reserve places to unload, reducing battery consumption and removing the stress having to drive around finding a place to unload, or having to park illegally.
Westminster City Council has contracted software solutions company Grid Smarter Cities to test out the Kerb booking platform so that drivers of Electric vans can book a slot at two parking bays in Abbey Orchard Street and Russell Street, close to the shopping area of Victoria Street and Covent Garden.
The Kerb platform allows a driver to pre-book loading and unloading space for up to 90 minutes, 24 hours a day. This means drivers get surety of a space in advance for delivery drivers, reducing idling and search time and also allowing them to park long enough to make onward deliveries by greener modes, such as by foot or cargo bike.
The Kerb suite comes with a driver friendly app, online interface and is accompanied by an on-street e-ink sign. The technology will enable drivers to book loading bay slots for longer periods of time of up to 90 minutes. Drivers can also report rogue vehicles if the space is being used without a booking on arrival.
“The Kerb app enables commercial EV LGV drivers or fleet managers to book their slots in signed ‘permit’ loading bays which, as experts in kerbside management, we know help better manage freight, servicing and delivery activities at the kerbside,” explained Grid Smarter Cities CEO Neil Herron. “This is an exciting change from the first-come-first-served approach to kerbside access. The deployment represents a major digital leap forward for councils to optimise kerbside management and for operators to undertake deliveries in a more efficient manner and aligns with Westminster’s Carbon Reduction Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan helping prioritise carbon reduction through reduced traffic and congestion.”
Westminster City Council is committed to increasing the number of greener last mile deliveries, increasing its green transport infrastructure and supporting electric freight deliveries. This Kerb scheme supports the Council’s Freight, Servicing and Deliveries Strategy and Action Plan 2020–2040, which includes proactive kerbside management as one of nine strategic actions, including more effective use of on-street loading and unloading bays throughout the 24-hour period to reduce commercial vehicle movements at peak hours.
Drivers who wish to use the bays must be pre-registered and the vehicle must be fully electric.
EV delivery fleet operators or drivers who deliver within the areas of Russell Street and Abbey Orchard Street in Westminster can register to start using the bays at westminster@gridsmartercities.com or can sign up here.
(Picture – Highways News)
