'Move freight deliveries to night-time to cut down congestion'

Date: 22/2/2010

Shifting freight transport emphasis onto night-time deliveries could help improve local air quality and reduce transport costs and wasted diesel, Natalie Chapman of the Freight Transport Association has argued.

Removing distribution lorries from peak-time congestion could have benefits for businesses, residents and the environment, Ms Chapman said.

However, perceived problems such as the public's reaction to noise pollution during anti-social hours put companies off distributing freight at night.

But Ms Chapman highlighted a three-month study conducted by Sainsbury's and Wandsworth Borough Council in 2007 which concluded that if strict procedures laid out by the Freight Transport Association and the Noise Abatement Society are followed, urban populations are unlikely to complain about noise made by lorries late at night.

Furthermore, the study showed that the supermarket could save money, cut down on its carbon footprint and improve the reliability of its supply chain by switching deliveries to night-time.

Ms Chapman's comments preceded an announcement by the Institute of Grocery Distribution that a sustainable distribution initiative run by ECR UK had taken the equivalent of 24 million lorry miles off British roads a year earlier than planned.