Digital Kerbside Management Could Remove 15,000 Tonnes of CO₂ Across London

A smart kerbside management initiative operating on one of London's busiest commercial corridors is delivering measurable benefits for freight operators, local authorities and the environment, according to newly published independent analysis.

The Kerb® Delivery Scheme, managed by Grid Smarter Cities and currently operating on Walworth Road in the London Borough of Southwark, has been assessed by engineering and sustainability consultancy Stantec. The review found the pilot scheme is improving compliance, increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs for users.

The five-bay trial uses digitally bookable loading spaces to help delivery vehicles access kerbside loading areas more efficiently. According to the analysis, operators using the system experienced a 40 per cent reduction in Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) exposure during 2024, helping reduce both costs and operational disruption.

The report also highlights productivity improvements. Stantec's assessment suggests that more reliable access to loading bays could enable a supermarket supplier using the scheme to complete up to 66 additional deliveries annually as a result of reduced waiting times and improved route efficiency.

Benefits have also been identified for the local authority. The study estimates that the pilot generated a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 3.8 during its first year of operation, indicating that the economic benefits significantly outweigh the costs of implementation.

The findings support previous feedback from Southwark Council and logistics operators, which has suggested that digitally managed loading bays can help reduce congestion while improving the efficiency and reliability of urban freight movements.

Looking beyond the pilot, Stantec modelled the impact of expanding the scheme across Southwark. The analysis indicates that extending the system to 32 loading bays could deliver annual fuel savings exceeding £126,000, facilitate 181 additional delivery drops each year and reduce PCN-related costs by more than £33,000. Under this scenario, the projected Benefit Cost Ratio would increase to 6.4, alongside further operational efficiency gains.

The potential benefits become even more significant at a city-wide scale. Stantec estimates that widespread adoption of digitally managed kerbside infrastructure across London could increase annual delivery capacity by approximately 21 per cent while reducing carbon emissions by around 15,000 tonnes per year.

The consultancy also forecasts that smarter kerbside management could save more than three million hours currently lost through inefficient delivery activity, eliminate around 20 million kilometres of freight vehicle mileage annually and reduce traffic volumes by the equivalent of removing 12,600 cars from London's roads.

Tim Hapgood, Senior Associate at Stantec, said the modelling demonstrates the substantial environmental and operational benefits that could be achieved through wider deployment of digital kerbside management solutions.

Toby Hiles, Sales and Partnerships Director at Grid Smarter Cities, said the findings add to growing evidence that technology-enabled kerbside management can improve the performance of freight operations while helping authorities tackle congestion, emissions and competition for limited road space.

The Kerb® Delivery platform is already being used by several London boroughs through both traditional loading bays and Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs). These digitally designated loading areas require no physical signs or infrastructure and allow authorised loading and unloading during specified periods where such activity would normally be restricted.

Grid Smarter Cities has also developed electronic kerbside signage that integrates with the booking platform, displaying vehicle registration details and allocated time slots to improve compliance and visibility for enforcement and operators alike.