City logistics : changing how we supply

Abstract

Paper presented at the 23rd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 12 - 15 July 2004 "Getting recognition for the importance of transport", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. Urban freight transport is an important activity in the context of urban life. It is fundamental to sustaining our lifestyle and serves industrial and trade activities essential to wealth generation. Efficient freight transport can play a significant role in the competitiveness of an urban area and is an important element of the urban economy, both in terms of the income it generates and the employment levels it supports. However, freight transport is responsible for traffic and negative environmental impacts in urban areas such as congestion levels, pollution, noise and fossil fuel use. Freight transport is, therefore, an important factor in urban sustainability. The benefits of city logistics solutions and the disadvantages of urban freight transport should be compared to motivate the investment in city logistics. The paper looks at factors contributing to a successful urban freight transport planning and its sustainability. The intention of the paper is to highlight and sensitize the stakeholders to the city logistics concept, its potential advantages and implications of implementation.