Reimagining the Kerbside in Congested London Areas with Westminster City Council

A bookable loading bay scheme in the Capital, available for all vehicle types

To better manage freight operator access in Westminster we worked with the borough council to trial two bookable loading bays. The bays were located in the bustling business and retail areas of Abbey Orchard Street near Victoria Street and Russell Street, within walking distance of Covent Garden.

Grid’s Kerb^® Delivery platform allows freight and service operators to remotely reserve places to load and unload for up to 90 minutes, reducing driver stress when searching for suitable and safe space within busy areas. The project contributed to the borough’s greener transport infrastructure and supports the increase in sustainable freight deliveries in Westminster.

This project has now closed. If you are interested in siging up to use the Kerb Delivery Platform, please contact us below.

Russell Street Permit Loading Bay - Westminster, London, UK

What is the Westminster The Kerb^® Delivery Project?

The Kerb^® Delivery platform allows drivers to pre-book loading and unloading space for up to 90 minutes, 24 hours a day. This means that drivers get surety of a space in advance, reducing idling and search time and also allowing them to park long enough to make onward deliveries by greener modes, such as by foot or cargo bike. This innovative scheme has many potential positive impacts from reduced freight congestion and emissions to improved road safety.

The Kerb^® Delivery Platform

The Kerb^® Delivery platform enables drivers to book loading bay slots from 30, 60 or 90 minute periods. Drivers can also report rogue vehicles if the space is being used without a booking on arrival.

The suite comes with an intuitive driver app, savvy booking platform and tailored interface for both fleet managers and local authorities. Both bays were accompanied by an on street e-ink smart sign.

Karb mobile app being used to book the Russell Street Permit Loading Bay - Westminster, London, UK

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, said:

“We recognise more than 40 different users of the kerb, and it’s impossible to keep up unless we are on top of it 24 hours, seven days a week. So what we’re trying to do is try new ways of managing the kerb, so that we can keep on top of it, we can keep the city moving, we can reduce congestion.

Benefits of using Bookable Loading Bays

An advanced booking system enables stress free deliveries

Longer loading time slots enable uninterrupted deliveries

Greener deliveries from less time circling and idling

Saves mileage from less circling around the city

Safer deliveries from less on street dwell time

Research on freight movements can be gathered