Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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Synergies with other transport policies
The Freight Plan is complemented by safety and environmental measures and strategies for London.
Examples of complementary measures are the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Safer Lorry Scheme.
The LEZ covers most of Greater London and was introduced in 2008 to encourage the most polluting
heavy diesel vehicles driving in the city to become cleaner. Delivery vehicles are also affected and need
to pay a daily LEZ charge if they do not meet the emission standards. The introduction of an Ultra Low
Emission Zone (ULEZ) is confirmed and will be applied in 2020. The ULEZ will cover a smaller area
than the LEZ (same as the current Congestion Charging Zone) and will introduce even stricter
emission standards for almost all vehicles.
The Safer Lorry Scheme will come into force in September 2015 and it ensures that only lorries that
meet the Mayor’s higher road safety standards will be allowed to operate on London's roads. This
includes construction vehicles, which are involved in a disproportionate number of fatal collisions
involving cyclists and pedestrians. Vehicles will have to be fitted with mirrors providing better direct
vision of vulnerable road users and side guards to protect cyclists from being dragged under the
vehicle in the event of a collision.
Lessons learned
Lessons for London come from the application of pilot schemes and the experiences during the 2012
Olympic Games.
In order to investigate the potential of DSP, a pilot project was applied at one of TfL’s main offices. This
resulted in 20% reduction of the total number of delivery trips to the site. Stationery deliveries were
reduced from twice a day to three times a week while catering delivering were also reduced by 40%
(Browne et al, 2012).
The London Construction Consolidation Centre (LCCC) was a two-year trial project operated from
2005 to 2007 as part of additional projects supported by the Freight Plan. Its objective was to serve
four major construction sites in the City of London. It was intended for a rapid flow, on a just-in-time
basis, of materials from suppliers to site with storage time limited to 10 days. It is estimated that there
was a 60-70% reduction in the number of vehicles delivering to the four construction sites. It is
estimated that this resulted in a 70-80% reduction in CO2 emissions for these flows. In addition,
consolidating goods at the LCCC eliminated the use of articulated vehicles for site delivery and
significantly reduced the use of vans (Browne et al, 2012). The London Construction Consolidation
Centre is still operational, as a commercial business, and its operator is looking to replicate the concept
in other areas within London.
The experience from the London Olympic Games in 2012 showed that through positive engagement
and collaboration, the freight industry can change the way it operates for the wider benefit of London.
The Freight Forum was established as the central focus for improving communication between TfL
and freight operators, businesses, trade associations, regulators and highway authorities (TfL, 2013).
The Forum meets twice a year and its membership grows annually.
Looking forward
Building upon the success from the 2012 Games, TfL continues to work with operations and the wider
business community to deliver better results for the city. The next actions of TfL are organized around
seven themes: better planning, improving safety, re-timing deliveries and collections, kerbside access,
effective communications, and journey planning. Examples of identified schemes involve out-of-hours
operations, revising kerbside loading guidance to ensure the safety of vulnerable groups, and
potentially using London’s waterways for freight movements (TfL, 2013).
Comparison with other cities: Paris