Quiet night-time deliveries could help reduce urban congestion, lower carbon emissions and increase reliability and efficiency for transport firms, a leading politician has claimed.
Parliamentary undersecretary of state for transport Paul Clark said switching to late-night distribution would help remove lorries from the roads during peak hours.
This would reduce carbon emissions, traffic volume and disruption for local residents, without the need for major infrastructural investment, he added.
"With the adoption of best practice in quiet delivery technology and techniques, a balance can be found between protecting residents and relaxing curfews for a range of locations and store types," Mr Clark said.
He was speaking at the Freight Transport Association's (FTA) annual Urban Logistics Conference, which took place in London this week.
The FTA has long supported the idea of quiet night-time deliveries as a means of saving time and money for business, as well as reducing carbon emissions and improving supply chain reliability.
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