Grid Smarter Cities’ kerbside management scheme on Walworth Road made permanent
Kerbside management company Grid Smarter Cities has released new figures showing the impact of its scheme in the London Borough of Southwark, with a fall in Penalty Charge Notices and steady increase in pre-booked use of loading bays.
The initiative on Walworth Road in partnership with Southwark Council enables freight drivers to book their loading slots in advance. Using the Grid Smarter Cities Kerb Delivery® app, they are assured a space at the location where they need to load or unload, meaning no loitering in the carriageway or circling the roads.
The kerbside booking scheme was made permanent in April after 12 months of an initial 18-month trial as the total number of freight users registered has reached 40 and bookings growing to 80 per week.
This has led to a fall in PCNs which the company says demonstrates that a more controlled loading environment has been achieved in the busy area, and has enabled a more targeted enforcement approach to improve efficiency.
It quotes James Norton, Head of Distribution Network Transformation at Warburtons who described the ability to prebook “gives us the assurance that we will be able to unload at the most optimal time from a service and efficiency perspective,” and that “deploying the app to the drivers’ PDA allows them to modify the booking en-route if there is a delay.” Warburtons says its first time delivery attempt rate on Walworth Road has increased, and the number of fixed penalty notices issued has decreased through the implementation of this system.
The kerbside booking scheme has been implemented by Southwark Council. Its Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, James McAsh explained: “We’re proud to be leading the way with this innovative approach. This benefits local businesses, reduces parking stress and congestion, and makes life easier for delivery drivers too. It supports our Streets for People plans which are all about making Southwark’s streets cleaner, greener and safer.”
Grid Smarter Cities CEO Neil Herron, who had the original idea for a digital kerbside booking solution, added: “This implementation has moved the needle on freight delivery and servicing activity from a first come first served free for all into an ordered and managed bookable kerbside service embraced by businesses, operators and enforcement and improving compliance.”
The scheme manages five loading bays across two sides of the road accompanied by dynamic on-street signage. Managed via the Kerb® platform, registered drivers can make and manage bookings to secure a space prior to delivery, eliminating the need for circling leading to improved efficiency and reduced congestion. To complement this offering for larger fleets, a web-based platform is also available to support fleet operations staff in managing logistics movements remotely.
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