When a typical British citizen hears the word “busy”, many different meanings arise. For example: Oxford Street is one of the most important retail locations in Great Britain, and also one of the busiest shopping street in Europe. So, one could say "that is busy". But for a courier business owner, busy means 2 things. Busy with orders (which is always great) and busy in terms of traffic (which is worst possible scenario for time critical shipments).
At the end of the day, courier, delivery, logistics, freight all equate to transporting goods from A to B. Since the UK’s population is projected to increase, and since we have a rich history when it comes to freight (ports, land, rail) its mind boggling to think why the fat cats at the wheel within the government do not invest enough to improve UK’s transport infrastructure. Its clearly evident that almost all roads connecting the entire United Kingdom nationwide is in such a drastic state. One simple example is our numbered roads as well as the case for continued investment in our transport infrastructure.
At times, we may wonder "England has produced world leaders when it comes to innovation and engineering" so why do our government continue to fail to build better roads and transport systems. How can countries such as Germany build smooth and nearly perfectly engineered roads and we just seem to be stuck in traffic for hours on end when there is a disruption or a road work? Surely the solutions are there, in either case, today we’re going to share some insights regarding:
Freight Systems and City Logistics
City Logistics is defined as managing distribution flows in urban areas by optimising the whole system, which integrates all transport modes with different technologies and infrastructure. City Logistics is a scientific concept and approach that facilitates movement of people and trade while reducing transportation times and CO2 emissions. Can you imagine cities such as London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds or others in UK not considering the impacts of transportation.
City logistics is based on optimising all mode of transport with different technologies, infrastructures and innovation. Through historical data, future estimates for economic and population growth, it is the management of movement and transport in urban areas.
In other words, cities will be able to maintain their geographical centrality as places for economic development, even as transportation time and CO2 emissions decrease.
City logistics is not just another fashionable word. It is an emerging trend concerning globalisation, world of business and the future of global trade and commerce. As you know that online commerce is growing exponentially, and demands for faster courier services have increased, so has fuel prices that affects all of us (whether you operate a courier business or simply using the Tube Transport for London) a good, reliable transportation is becoming more important than ever before.
City Logistics gets to the heart of the matter because it seeks to answer one important question ‘Given that the world of business is changing, what should we do in the face of these emerging changes?’
Our interconnected world, mass production through mega factories, and also the uptake of online shopping have pushed us to new levels of productivity as well as consumption. Most products are manufactured elsewhere and shipped through connected supply chain networks almost overnight. This opened the doors of opportunities for same day, overnight or international courier companies operating in UK because of the need for reliable distribution and courier networks which have become at least equally, if not more important in this fast paced world.
Importance of Better Logistics for City Development
For many years, logistics has had a major influence on society and the economical growth of urban settlements. It is also one of the sectors that have most strongly contributed to CO2 emission reduction thanks to environmental legislation changes and more energy efficient processes.
2021 was a record year for wind energy, on and offshore wind generated an impressive 21.4% of the UK’s electricity, according to the National Grid.
New technologies such as intelligent transport systems (ITS) have had an important role in achieving this goal: ITSs implement real-time information and communication technologies to improve transport efficiency, safety, and also service quality. These systems will play a decisive role in the future of sustainable logistics, which also seeks to minimise environmental impact on a nationwide and local scale.
In recent years, new factors related to city development have emerged that question some traditional elements of supply chain management.
- The first of these factors is the rise of Ecommerce, which has encouraged an increase in demand for distribution within cities.
- The second factor is related to the rapid urbanisation over the last decades. According to World Bank data, about 55% of people live in cities, and this number will likely grow up to 70% by 2050, especially in developing countries such as Great Britain. This urbanisation has increased the population density, creating new challenges for UK’s cities. For example, overcrowding makes it necessary to improve the distribution flow efficiency and productivity capacity of all transport modes (land, sea, or air). At the same time, this new situation requires that city planners address all these aspects while promoting sustainable development as well as protecting the environment.
- The third factor is the higher disposable income of the population. This has boosted demand for consumer goods, increasing distribution flow needs within cities.
All these factors make urban logistics requiring new innovation and techniques for improved urban settlements, especially considering our society’s needs which is facing even more challenges moving forward.
In addition, we are also talking about an increase in demand for same day deliveries within cities in United Kingdom, particularly due to online shopping activity and food couriering which is becoming the norm rather than exception.
For courier business owners wanting to take advantage of growing demands for same day and overnight courier services in UK, our team here at Delivery Master Courier Software can answer your questions as well as provide you with fully integrated logistics software package that can improve your business’s overall efficiency.