More night-time deliveries to shops would be environmentally friendly and operationally efficient, according to a study into South London retailers. The study, by the South London Freight Quality Partnership, says more out-of-hours deliveries would improve air quality and help congestion.
Project leader Arnaud Lagrange says: "Out-of-hours deliveries lead to less CV traffic being present in urban
areas during peak hours, meaning less vehicles sitting idling in traffic, burning less fuel, resulting in less emissions and less environmental impact."
He admits that not everybody is keen on trucks delivering through the night, even though careful planning can reduce overall noise and disturbance: "The challenge is to really convince South London's operators, retailers and borough officers that a change both to current working practices in the industry and a review of local night-time delivery restrictions could pay real dividends in the longer term, both operationally and for the good of our town centres."
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