Trials of two virtual loading bays are now underway in the London Borough of Richmond.
Virtual loading bay located on the Quadrant in the London Borough of Richmond
Virtual loading bays are dedicated spaces that can be pre-booked to deliver goods by participating operators with the Grid Kerb Delivery booking application.
The two virtual loading bays are located in Sheen Lane, Mortlake and the Quadrant, Richmond and will be available to book, free of charge, for the trial period to the end of 2024.
The Kerbside Management Trial is being run by Cross River Partnership (CRP), a non-profit and impartial partnership organisation, and form part of its Defra-funded Kerbside Management Trial and are being delivered in partnership with Richmond and Grid Smarter Cities.
The trial uses Grid’s virtual loading bay technology to dynamically manage the kerbside and aims to improve congestion and air quality in the local area.
The Kerbside Management Trial is part of Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) a Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 25 project partners. The project aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London by making improvements across 14 London boroughs and two London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
Carl Gellard, senior engineer traffic & parking policy Richmond and Wandsworth Council, said: “The Virtual Loading Bay (VLB) initiative will enable the council to monitor loading/unloading activity at two key sites in the borough which experience increased volumes of traffic and poor air quality. We look forward to realising the benefits of managing kerbside space through the platform.”
More details of the trial and how to book the bays are here.
