Grid Smarter Cities wins Innovate UK contract to help control city freight congestion

Smart solution provider Grid Smarter Cities has won an Innovate UK contract to create a Freight Traffic Control Platform that will help manage construction freight movements and deliveries in congested urban centres.

The trial will take place in Croydon and will investigate the use of telematics, 3D mapping and electric vehicles in future construction logistic operations.

Councillor Stuart King, cabinet lead for environment and transport at Croydon Council, said: “This is an innovative project that will help us to monitor, manage and regulate HGV journeys across Croydon. This will help us try and make sure deliveries arrive not only in a timely manner but even more importantly that the journeys are as safe and green as possible.”

It is based around Kerb, Grid’s Intelligent Kerbside Management solution. Kerb enables the digitisation of the kerbside, allowing drivers to park on restricted kerb for fixed periods of time and providing real-time, dynamic management of the road network.

The Freight Traffic Control solution looks to build on the foundations of Kerb, improving ease of movement for commercial operators when heading into and around the construction site, while reducing congestion and the environmental impact of HGVs.

Karla Jakeman, Innovation Lead for Connected Transport & Communications at Innovate UK, said: “This project is a great example of how an SME can work with local authorities to solve real life issues around freight.

“This can provide a blueprint which can be transferred to other local authorities around the UK. The potential spin offs from this project due to its broader thinking are particularly exciting.”

Neil Herron, chief executive and founder of Grid Smarter Cities, said: “The Kerb FTC Project represents a great opportunity to showcase how practical innovation can deliver real impacts and we are excited to be working with the Croydon Council who are a trailblazing local authority intent on leading the way. Improving air quality is a key issue for society to address, and we are intent on being able to deliver technology that offers simple, easy to adopt process improvements to assist in construction freight logistics and the wider transport sectors.”