Consolidation centres can improve air quality in cities

Urban Consolidation Centres (UCCs), where deliveries are combined before shipping into town centres, can help local authorities meet emission targets and reduce congestion, according to the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC).

The TSC, on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT), have developed an economic assessment tool that estimates the cost and benefits of moving towards a logistics consolidation model.

The TSC applied the tool to the University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust (UHS) as a case study. Data showed that by moving towards consolidation and using the UCC operated by Meachers Global Logistics in Southampton, deliveries to the hospital could be reduced from 867 a week to 25 a week. This benefits the hospital in terms of efficiency savings as well as wider benefits to the community, such as reducing congestion, road casualties and improving air quality levels.

Southampton is one of the UK cities required by government to take action to bring nitrogen dioxide concentrations within legal limits in the shortest possible time. The study suggests that UCCs can help towns and cities, like Southampton, meet their air quality obligations through the reduction of goods vehicle miles in urban areas