Logistics companies know how to adapt and

deliver good quality service. With the increase of ecommerce, executing deliveries

has become a major problem for many, as often customers are not at home and

deliveries need to be made more than once. times as this provides a number of societal

What adds to the challenge is the lack of parking and the increase in penalty for

drivers. Neil Herron, founder and CEO of Grid Smarter Cities, believes logistics

providers should be offered a solution.

The current system of controlling parking and the movement of commercial vehicles

around cities appears to be unfair, and unnecessary penalises logistics providers

without giving them an appropriate alternative. Firstly, firms will be able to save money on fines and feel supported by the local

benefits and helps local councils,’ says Herron.

By giving an alternative method for making

deliveries, there are many obvious positives.

Firms are forced to break the rules as

government.

Secondly, local authorities will see a reduction in traffic and improved flow as

vehicles are able to access multiple addresses more effectively.

they do not have a way of executing

their deliveries that fulfil both the business objectives and the community.

‘We need to look at ways to identify opportunities to make deliveries at off peak Finally, and maybe most importantly

communities will see improvement in overall air quality and congestion, resulting in less ...

fatalities related to ambient air pollution.

‘The Curbside needs to be better managed,’ says Herron. Companies need to be at a

certain location at a certain time, while authorities still maintain control and

oversight over the whole process.

Existing approaches do not take advantage of digital solutions that

could be deployed to orchestrate the

movement of vehicles;

Operators benefit by reducing the chances

of receiving parking tickets and authorities receive a clearer picture on what is

happening on the road network.

The company, led by Herron, has worked with both companies and authorities to

repurpose stretches of curbside and make them more accessible for businesses. …

The initial Alpha version of the platform was trialled by DPD in partnership with

Sunderland CIty Council.

The company had to optimise a very congested area and create a window where

vehicles easily perform loading and unloading.

The trial was successful, loading capacity

was increased without affecting traffic flow. →

Additionally, the firm has worked with

extensions to the time commercial vehicles can park at certain locations.

By doing so they limit congestion and allow

couriers and other companies to focus on deliveries rather than the prospect of a fine if

they stayed in a zone for longer than allowed. Herron says that they need better

management of parking provision. A way to do that is by creating a comprehensive plan

which incorporates virtual loading bays.

According to Herron this would help firms obtain permission for construction projects

as they present a considered plan of how and where vehicles will move, to minimise

the negative impact to the local area.

‘What is needed is a plan where you know where vehicles are held and for

how long.’

Many city centres have multiple

development projects and see heavy construction traffic. The firm addresses unplanned arrivals as

well, where vehicles can either be accepted on site or be moved to a holding area. The

system allows authorities to move from monitoring road infrastructure to managing

movements and dealing with problems.

It does not require any physical infrastructure and can integrate with the

telematics of the vehicle or a smartphone. ✶

Neil Herron, CEO and Founder of Grid Smarter Cities, is responsible for 16 patents. He has led the company the London Stock Exchange’s Elite programme, been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities, and recently secured Grid’s position on Telefonica’s Wayra Mobility Programme and has worked with national freight bodies such as FTA and RHA and helped influence national parking policies. He has recently been appointed a Department for International Trade Export Ambassador and is working on Grid’s Series A funding round.