Freight sector receives helping hand with Olympic planning

Date: 13/9/2011

With less than a year to go before the start of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, an online resource has been launched that could help the freight sector prepare more effectively for this period.

Transport for London explains that the tool it has released can be used by businesses to inform them of obstructions they could face on the delivery routes they regularly use and draw up a contingency plan based on this.

By inputting an individual postcode, freight firms will be able to swiftly find out whether the address in question will be included in the central London Zone or Olympic Route Network, which are both likely to be subject to road closures and delays once the Games commence.

Delivery companies can therefore use the resource to assess which of their clients will be impacted by the athletics event and plan alternative routes in good time.

Graham Inglis, Chair of 2012 Freight Forum and Chief Executive Officer of DHL's Supply Chain Division, said: "We know that come Games time the transport network will be a lot busier. However, now is the time for businesses that rely on freight deliveries to get their action plans in shape."

According to the Freight Transport Association, night-time deliveries could provide many logistical benefits during next summer's Games, as they can take place when some road closures are not in force.

Posted by Mary Treen