Mayor and TfL unveil plans to support sustainable ‘last mile’ deliveries by bike

The Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) have unveiled a plan to work with boroughs, businesses and the freight and servicing industry to transform how deliveries are made in the capital, reducing road danger and helping to clean up London’s ‘toxic air’.

The measures include making land available for ‘micro-distribution centres’ in key locations to support sustainable ‘last mile’ deliveries in neighbourhoods across the capital, including by bike.

TfL has said that the movements of goods vehicles in the capital have increased by around 20% since 2010, contributing to poor air quality, congestion and road danger. Lorries and vans currently account for around one fifth of road traffic in London and about one third in central London during the morning peak, when more people use public transport, walk and cycle.

TfL research shows that heavy goods vehicles are involved in 63% of fatal collisions with cyclists, and 25% of fatal collisions with pedestrians, despite only making up 4% of the overall miles driven in the capital. 

The Mayor’s Freight and Servicing Action has set out how the industry can continue to meet the freight and servicing needs of London’s growing population and economy, while reducing the number of lorries and vans entering central London during the morning peak by 10% by 2026.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Freight is essential for London’s economy but for our future health and prosperity we need to be smarter about how we manage the millions of van and lorry journeys each week. By creating a pan-London network of micro-distribution centres and rolling out innovative click and collect points at more Tube stations, we will enable more commuters to collect packages near their home – helping reduce congestion across our city.

“Together with the introduction of our world-leading Direct Vision Standard and supporting businesses to switch to electric vans and cargo bikes, we will make freight more efficient while also reducing road danger and cleaning up London’s toxic air.”