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Appendix A4
Sustainable urban freight operations, better air quality and safety in London
London is considered to be a pioneer in city logistics and has implemented a range of initiatives to
help reduce the negative social, environmental and economic impacts of freight transport, especially
in relation to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and local air pollution (Browne et al, 2012).
The city
The urban agglomeration of London has a population of nearly 10 million (United Nations, 2014a).
The majority of the city’s freight policies and measures have been implemented since the introduction
of a Mayor of London in 2000. All efforts to promote sustainable freight have been assisted by the
formation of a freight unit in Transport for London (TfL), an executive body of the Mayor.
Freight planning
In 2007, the Mayor of London adopted the ‘Sustainable freight distribution: a plan for London’ plan
(referred here as the Freight Plan) which set out the steps for the following five to ten years in order
to identify and begin to address the challenge of delivering freight sustainability in the city. The plan
contains proposals to deliver real improvements on the ground, alongside others designed to improve
understanding of the issues around freight and to contribute to the longer term process of addressing
London’s transport needs (TfL, 2007). TfL is currently in the process of developing the Mayor of
London’s Long Term Freight Strategy (2016-2030), which will replace the London Freight Plan.
One of the key points made in the plan is that sustainable freight is a shared responsibility of TfL, the
London Boroughs, businesses, freight operators, and other bodies and associations. Therefore, in
order to implement the proposed measures and realise their potential new relationships, roles and
responsibilities would have to be built, particularly at sub-regional level. Communication to each
target audience was made by publishing supporting documents (for example, the rail sector,
operators, and boroughs), an ongoing process of workshops and the delivery of additional resources
related to best practice (TfL, 2007).
The key projects included in the Freight Plan are:
1) Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS): FORS is an accreditation scheme that is
available to any company operating vans or lorries in London, UK and Europe. FORS provides
operators with practical advice and guidance to help reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions,
vehicle collisions, and penalty charges (Browne et al, 2012). The projects sets FORS standards
are a quality benchmark to be used by commissioning bodies when awarding servicing,
maintenance and delivery contracts. This provides a simple way for clients to ensure the
sustainable credentials of fleet and freight operators.
2) Delivery and Servicing Plans (DSPs): DSPs are intended to provide a framework to better
manage all types of deliveries of freight vehicle movement to and from individual buildings of
all types (e.g. shops, offices, factories, and depots). Improved freight management at sites
contributes to better operational efficiency, safety and reliability of deliveries. DSPs are
designed to reduce the number of trips to the sites and ensure the use of safe and legal loading
facilities. This is accomplished using a range of measures including consolidation solutions,
delivery booking management systems and out-of-hours deliveries (Browne et al, 2012; TfL,
2007).
3) Construction Logistics Plans (CLPs): CLPs are similar to DSPs but provide a framework for
freight vehicle movements to and from construction sites.
Finally, the Freight Plan defined a series of measures against which progress in sustainable freight
distribution is reported annually. Continuous monitoring and reporting contribute to the timely
identification of areas for improvement and thus continuous development (TfL, 2007).