Shoppers have been urged to stop having online orders sent to their offices because delivery vans are clogging up the capital’s roads.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said the increasing number of delivery vans on the road, up two per cent year-on-year, are to blame for heavy traffic congestion in the city.
It came as he unveiled plans to establish parcel collection points in Tube stations, supermarkets and corner shops in suburban areas so commuters can pick up parcels on the way to and from work.
Sadiq Khan unveiled plans to install parcel collection points in Tube stations, supermarkets and corner shops
Mr Khan also rejected claims that the CS3 cycle superhighway along the Embankment was the cause of the delays in an interview with the Evening Standard.
He said: ‘The evidence is clear to me: no it doesn’t. It’s just not true to say the cause of congestion is cyclists.
‘We have done some work on the causes of congestion. The two biggest causes of congestion in London are: one, people’s lifestyle means. They order more and more stuff by the internet that is delivered to their place of work in central London.
‘In relation to deliveries, we are funding consolidation centres — hubs where things are delivered on foot or cycle or ways that don’t cause congestion. We are also speaking to employers about discouraging their staff from having things delivered to their place of work.’
Transport for London, which manages the city’s roads, buses, and tube network, recently praised delivery firm DPD for leading the way with ‘green’ delivery options.
The company uses electric golf-cart-style trucks to deliver products from retailers to locations in the city.
He said the increasing number of delivery vans on the road, up two per cent year-on-year, are to blame for the traffic congestion (file photo)
There are currently two ‘all-electric’ depots, one in Victoria and another in Shoreditch, but DPD has plans to open five more.
The initiative will also comply with Mr Khan’s ultra low emission zone when it launches in the capital on April 8.
By introducing the zone, the mayor hopes to improve air quality in central London by requiring cars and vans to meet new, tighter exhaust emission standards.
If they do not, motorists will be required to pay a daily travel fee of up to £100 to pass through an area of central London.
New figures published on Friday revealed the mayor spent £90million in 2017-18 on cycling – a great deal below the promised £169million average annual spend.
Mr Khan spent £56million on superhighways and a further £46million on quietway cycle routes throughout his first two years in office.
But the mayor admitted he shared cyclists’ frustration at the slow pace of introduction of the schemes.
He said there was ‘no alternative’ to encouraging more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.