In many ways urban distribution is subject to the same issues as any road traffic. A particular concern is that freight vehicles often need to arrive or depart at given times and need to be able to load and unload in very specific locations. Our traffic management skills help us to ensure that freight vehicles can access relevant destinations and that parking restrictions support the local economy. Our intelligent transport systems can provide guidance on routeing for freight vehicles.
Where possible, freight will make the most of alternatives to road haulage and rail haulage. This is often not efficient for specific businesses and freight consolidation centres can help manage the interface between urban and inter-urban distribution.
Despite the economic importance of freight, heavy goods vehicles can be highly disruptive to the urban environment and the designation of low emission zones can help to manage freight movements to mitigate concerns. Truck tolling is already in place in some countries and being considered elsewhere.
We can help by providing:
- Strategy development – we support the development of strategies to manage urban freight by a combination of prioritisation and restriction
- Stakeholder management – our teams work with stakeholder groups including hauliers to develop solutions which reconcile conflicting objectives.
- Demand forecasting – we work with the generators of freight to establish likely demand for haulage and with operators to assess implications for individual mode.