Grid Smarter Cities: The digital kerbside is virtually here

Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs) are a flexible and dynamic solution for managing the kerbside

The kerbside is a complex, multi-faceted landscape that is difficult to manage effectively because of its many users and components. With more demands than ever from a wider range of users, putting pressure on access and utilisation of the kerbside.

The historical way of the kerbside having one use for one user, for example parking to pick up goods from the local shops is changing to become more multi-functional and active travel focussed with increasing numbers of pedestrianised areas, attractive street furniture to create friendly places to rest, dedicated cycle lanes, and e-scooter/e-bike parking now needing to work out how to co-exist with vital freight and servicing deliveries at the kerbside.

The number of physical places to load is always a challenge at the kerbside and there will always be areas where it is safest to deliver to a business. For commercial operators in the freight, servicing and delivery sectors, it has always specifically been loading and unloading that causes the most issues due to the unsuitable or inflexible restrictions. Indeed, the 2023 Department for Transport Kerbside Management Discovery report describes the current situation as ‘chaotic, dysfunctional, and unsafe’.

Solution – Virtual Loading Bay (VLB)

It doesn't have to be that way. The Kerb Delivery app already enables local authorities to offer dedicated kerb space to commercial operators via its Permit Loading Bays, and for those operators to book, in advance, thus removing the current ‘first come first served’ free for all for a more efficient, organised and managed process. Bringing order to the chaos helps reduce congestion, decrease circling and idling, helping to improve local air quality.

The perfect alignment of policy, legislation, digitisation and enabling technology has combined to deliver better kerbside management for freight operators and local authorities via the simple concept we call the ‘Virtual Loading Bay’.

A Virtual Loading Bay (VLB) is a digital dispensation allowing drivers to load and unload in close proximity to their delivery point at locations where loading is normally prohibited, without the risk and stress of receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). The location of a Virtual Loading Bay and time periods where access is permitted are pre-agreed with the local authority and in partnership with operators to improve safety, and reduce adverse impacts on network and traffic flows.

The solution, which is complex in the background is actually very simple at the point of use, delivering societal and environmental benefits that are fundamental if we are going to reach our decarbonisation, net zero and local air quality targets.

Efficient, organised and managed

VLBs solve many a problem for local authorities across the country from both a management and enforcement perspective. For commercial operators in the freight, servicing and delivery sectors, it is specifically loading and unloading that causes the most issues due to the unsuitable or inflexible restrictions that do not meet the health and safety provisions necessary for specialist or critical deliveries.

With Kerb Delivery easily integrating with current parking enforcement systems so that the civil enforcement officers can easily see on their handhelds the vehicles that are approved to be at these sites.

Legislation and digitisation

The beauty for local authorities is that they don’t each need to design their own solution. VLB’s flexibility means they can address a small problem area or single sector, or be taken to scale across a city, region, or even adopted as a national strategy, all within existing legislation.

A Virtual Loading Bay can practically help a local authority comply with its traffic management duties and responsibilities enshrined at S.122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 – ‘to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians), and the provision of suitable and adequate parking facilities on and off the highway.’

As mentioned, this is a solution based around current legislation, not one needing the law to catch up. Its implementation needs a simple amendment to, or addition of, a Schedule to the TRO (or TMO in London) allowing an exemption for a specific vehicle to undertake a specific activity at a certain location at a certain time. Then it’s good to go.

This complements the move to implement Digital Traffic Regulation Orders as part of the Automated Vehicles Act will mean that a fully dynamic kerbside as a national asset is not that far off.

Benefits being realised

The Virtual Loading Bay is no longer a theory, or concept. Virtual Loading Bays are now live on the streets of London thanks to a DEFRA-funded project with Cross River Partnership. Grid Smarter Cities are engaging with businesses across London to showcase the benefits of booking Virtual Loading Bays to load and unload their goods via the Kerb Delivery app. VLBs are making deliveries more efficient and sustainable, and improving congestion and air quality in the local area.

And it’s not just London – other cities across the UK and around the world will shortly be getting on board with the Virtual Loading Bay and start to see these benefits.

• Book: Utilise kerbspace at locations and on routes that traditionally prohibit loading and unloading activity (allowing deliveries at difficult locations)
• Proximity: Provides delivery drivers with closer access to the recipient venue, reducing the health and safety risks to drivers, the public and vulnerable road users
• Certainty: Allows retailers and businesses to accurately schedule their loading and delivery workloads
• Less damage: Reduce adverse impact on city infrastructure and air quality from missed and repeat deliveries
• Specialist: VLBs can be very granular (i.e. for one operator at one location for one delivery and can act as an overlay to existing parking legislation)
• Ease of deployment: No infrastructure changes necessary, saving the local authority time and money on implementation.

Watling Street, City of London

Let me give you one widespread example of an issue – delivery to city centre pubs. In brewery logistics, the delivery of heavy beer kegs needs to be undertaken adjacent to the pub’s cellar door from a health and safety perspective and there are strict safety guidelines when delivering. Their operational needs are wholly different from the parcel sector as they require prioritised access to the kerb, often in areas where loading may be prohibited.

The Watling Street VLB is deployed at pre-agreed times when loading and unloading is the least disruptive. Furthermore, rather than just stopping somewhere random, pre-approved places mean that the risk of conflict with pedestrians, or at locations where a dray has to say deliver across a cycle lane, can be minimised. This delivers a safer and more efficient use of road and kerb space with the least impact on the network.

It’s not just the brewery logistics industry that benefit, bulk frozen and chilled food deliveries where health, hygiene and contamination factors come into play is another sector, and for certain construction related deliveries including sectors such as glaziers and scaffolding safely accessing kerbside is key.

All these sectors will have health and safety considerations and accompanying risk assessment and operating protocols enabling operators to comply with their sector specific health and safety or food hygiene legislation.

“The Brewery Logistics sector has key health and safety considerations when delivering to hospitality venues. To deliver beer to a pub we require at least three feet of space around the back of the vehicle. The Virtual Loading Bay booking capability helps our members with access, compliance and delivery certainty.” John Crosk, Chairman, The Brewery Logistics Group

Founder message

Over ten years ago, when the concept of the Kerb Delivery Platform started to crystallise in my mind, driven by what I perceived was a fundamental and practical necessity, I did not truly foresee the true length of time it would take for the perfect alignment of policy, legislation, digitisation and enabling technology to become a reality,

The Department for Transport in 2023 published the Kerbside Management Discovery Report which identified the enabling power of the kerb and significant outcomes that can be delivered in the short term whilst preparing the policy and legislative road map for a fully digital, flexible and dynamic approach to kerbside access.

The waiting is over. The solution is available now! Get in touch to find out more about how your space can be managed digitally and overcome the challenges at the kerbside by contacting us at: info@gridsmartercities.com

Neil Herron is Chief Executive and Founder of Grid Smarter Cities