Grid Smarter Cities, in collaboration with Southwark Council, has released a new video highlighting the success of its award-winning bookable loading bay initiative on Walworth Road. The video showcases how digital kerbside management is transforming urban logistics along this busy high street, improving access for businesses, and helping create safer, less congested streets for all kerbside users.
The Walworth Road project enables users to reserve loading bay access in advance using the ‘Kerb’ platform. By allowing drivers to book access to a loading space, the scheme reduces time spent circling for parking, cuts congestion, and improves reliability for local deliveries.
As calculated by Stantec, the benefits of implementing the Kerb® Delivery Scheme, with just 5 bays, on Walworth Road in 2024 alone showed:
- 3.8 Benefit to Cost Ratio for Southwark in 2024
- 40% reduction equivalent in PCNs for operators
- Time saved for a single supermarket supplier would mean it could make up to 66 more deliveries a year
Since its launch, the initiative has demonstrated how smarter use of the kerb can support both local businesses and sustainable transport goals. The system helps ensure that loading bays are used efficiently, preventing illegal parking and keeping traffic flowing along one of Southwark’s busiest high streets, as well as supporting Southwark’s ‘Streets for People’ Strategy.
The newly released video provides an inside look at how the scheme works in practice, illustrating the real-world benefits of booking loading bays in advance and the positive impact on Walworth Road’s day-to-day operations.
Featured in the video, Councillor for Southwark Council, James McAsh, states, “Bookable loading bays really are a win-win situation, and I’d encourage any local authority to look into them, particularly those in cities.”
The Walworth Road scheme has previously gained national recognition, winning an award at the 2025 British Parking Awards in the inaugural ‘Future of Parking’ category, highlighting its innovative approach to kerbside management and its role in supporting smarter, more sustainable urban logistics.
“Walworth Road demonstrates how digital tools unlock the potential of the kerbside, transforming the current static kerbspace into a flexible and dynamic digital asset”, said Toby Hiles, Sales & Partnerships Director at Grid Smarter Cities. “By giving drivers the ability to reserve space when they need it, we’re helping reduce congestion, improve air quality, and make life easier for businesses and delivery operators.”
Now celebrating the 2 years since the pilot was launched, the video launch marks the latest milestone for the project and offers a practical example for other cities looking to improve the management of loading and delivery activity on busy urban streets. The bays are now a permanent fixture along the high street.
How to Start Using the Bays
The bays are live and bookable by delivery operators in the area who register in advance. There are no charges to use the bays and bookings can be made throughout 24 hours of the day. To sign up and start using the bays please register using this link or email us at southwarkkerb@gridsmartercities.com
Notes on the scheme:
- 5 bookable bays with adjunct loading options (virtual bays) with 4 double-sided signs
- 2 bays on the North side of the street and 3 bays on the South side of the street
- 0-15, 15-30, 30-45, 30-60, minute booking loading slots (longer than usual 20 minutes, bookings on the platform can be made in 15-minute increments)
- There are no charges to use the bays at any time of day
- One bespoke parking bay sized to meet the length and width requirements of a HGV freight vehicle is available on the North side of the road (to enable servicing to the nearby supermarket)
- The bays can still be used for 24hrs a day, enabling freight operators to deliver to local businesses with greater flexibility and certainty
About Grid Smarter Cities:
We specialise in building sustainable digital products that enable the smarter management of kerbside and freight logistics. Our knowledge of the ecosystem at the kerbside enables us to work with clients such as local authorities and operators to solve their challenges and with a tech solution at the kerbside.
