Grid Smarter Cities aligns with Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in their mission to create clean and efficient transport that is safe, reliable, and accessible – focused on the kerbside and the importance of managing it for the benefit of everyone.
Watch Oliver Howes from TRL who leads the Kerbside Taskforce of like-mided organisations, as he proposed ‘kerbside management’ as the next Transport Select Committee enquiry, to the TSC in an invited evidence session and Q&A on 05 May 2023.
Watch the full presentation video.
Presentation Highlights
Over the last decade, the demand on the kerbside has changed dramatically. As more and more players use this multifaceted space, so many aspects of people’s daily lives are affected by how the kerbside is used and managed. Non-conformity becomes the norm and parking fines are seen as a cost of doing business. With use of, and access to the kerbside often being widely misunderstood and not aligned to user needs, this means more conflict, carbon, pollution and inefficiency.
The fact that there is no minister or strategy means there is no clear owner. The kerbside needs leaders and commitment to drive change. The TRL Kerbside Taskforce of which Grid is founding member, is taking a leading role via use of its Kerb® software platform.
Kerb users (freight, servicing & delivery vehicles) can safely and efficiently deliver for their customers using the same solution wherever they are in the country. And the kerb owners (local authorities and landowners) can reflect local policies and priorities in the hyper-local access permissions they allow. Think of it as AirBnB for kerbside.
Solution for better kerbside utilisation - it's here, right now.
Aligning with different technological solutions being developed and trialed across the country to solve such problems, Grid Smarter Cities’ Kerb® platform is an innovative solution which is low capital, low operational costs with minimal infrastructure requirements, and has the ability to be scaled at pace.
As a dynamic kerbside management platform, Kerb enables a well-managed kerbside that not only improves how the logistics sector accesses the kerb, but also creates social benefits to boost local businesses such as shops and restaurants.
Kerb has been designed to serve all users and stakeholders, with space adapting and adjusting to meet the demand, and where users have a clear understanding of the rules and any cost of guaranteed access to the kerbside.
Dynamic kerbside management enables flexibility with kerb spaces adapting throughout the day to support, say, larger freight loading bays in the morning, cargo bike & delivery bays in the afternoon, dining in the evening, and a taxi rank at night.
The benefits of a well-managed kerbside brings the opportunity to reduce congestion on our streets, reduce tailpipe emissions, and create a new revenue stream for kerb owners. With the addition of a fast on-street chargepoint, EV delivery vehicles can charge where they are stopped and already doing business, rather than having to drive somewhere else in order to stop and charge. The convenience and efficiency of such a Chargerie™ could accelerate EV fleet upgrades and the wider transition to a zero-emission transport mix.
The Kerb-Dock Pilot
Our kerbside management platform is being trialed in London as the enabling technology supporting smooth and seamless cross-modal logistics transfer from river freight to zero emissions last mile delivery services.
Launched in January 2023 at the Bankside Pier, Southwark, London, the Kerb-Dock project aims to study the beneficial outcomes of enabling integration of river freight and zero emission last mile delivery modes to help reduce the impacts of commercial vehicles on traffic congestion and CO2 emissions in cities.
By establishing clear understanding and framework of effective management of an ecosystem of stakeholders working together, future deployment can be transferred and scaled easily and more efficiently.
Find out more about Kerb-Dock Project. For more information about the Kerb platform, send us an email at [email protected] or a Contact Us form.
