Westminster City Council open micro-logistics delivery hub in Pimlico
A trial for a new six-month micro-logistics hub in Pimlico has been launched to address the number of vehicles on the streets of central London, delivering online purchases direct to residents’ homes.
Coming less than two weeks after Transport for London launched an action plan promoting the use of cargo bikes for last mile deliveries, Westminster City Council, in partnership with Cross River Partnership, is setting up the micro-logistics hub where online purchases will be delivered by electric cargo bikes.
Based in a car park in Cambridge Street, the hub will receive parcels from a larger electric delivery vehicle and then distribute them locally by electric cargo bikes in Westminster and the surrounding area.
TfL’s action plan specified that they would be exploring opportunities to provide space, such as micro-hubs and parking to support last mile cargo bike operations.
Micro logistics hubs are small, secure spaces that couriers and operators can use to receive, sort, and send deliveries in central locations, ideally by cargo bike or walking porters.
Delivery Mates, who already operate five existing hubs in London, have been appointed to run the Pimlico one. They will receive goods on electric vehicles then deliver them on electric cargo bikes to the local area. Loading and unloading will take place within the car park.
It is estimated that cargo e-bikes will deliver about 2,000 parcels a day from the hub.
Delivery Mates , and have also agreed to share important data and insights, such as CO2 emissions savings and the number of parcel collections and deliveries.
Researchers at the University of Westminster used GPS data to compare routes taken by cargo bikes
in London with routes that vans would have to take to deliver the same parcels. Results show that
services provided by cargo bikes in London are 1.61 times faster than that performed by van, which in
a year saves over 14,500kg of CO₂ and over 20kg of NOx.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality at Westminster City Council, said: ‘Improving air quality in Westminster and reducing pollution and emissions is a key priority for us. We’re taking steps to reduce petrol and diesel car travel wherever we can, and this new micro-logistics hub operating in Pimlico, in the heart of Westminster, has an important part to play in this by promoting healthy, greener and more efficient deliveries in our city so we can build a fairer environment in Westminster for everyone.’
Susannah Wilks, Director, Cross River Partnership, said: ‘CRP is delighted to deliver this six month micro logistics hub trial with Westminster City Council, Infinium Logistics and Delivery Mates. This forms part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London programme and aims to better air quality across the City of Westminster.’
