Transport for London has released new postcode data online to help fleets manage the deliveries they make and plan the routes they use during the 2012 Games.
Companies can use the data to check whether individual postcodes in the capital will be affected by the Olympic Route Network (ORN), Central London Zone (CLZ) or road events.
By entering the data into their routing software companies are able to highlight the postcodes that contain both the ORN, for example, and one or more of their delivery locations. That will allow them to produce a list of both clients and locations that will be impacted during Games-time, and will be a timesaving tool when planning deliveries.
The information, which TfL has produced in conjunction with Royal Mail, is now available online at www.tfl.gov.uk/developers.
The postcode data is one of the first parts of a series of detailed information that will be provided to the freight industry to help companies plan for Games-time.
A timetable detailing what additional information will become available, along with timescales for their release, will be published later this month, alongside an improved and updated freight web portal for the industry to use. In addition, TfL is working on the development of a freight journey planning tool.
The release of the postcode data was announced at the inaugural 2012 Freight Forum at TfL on Thursday (September 8), which was chaired by Graham Inglis, CEO of DHL Supply Chain.
The forum was attended by a wide range of freight organisations and operators, including the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Federation of Small Businesses, DHL, UPS, and Sainsbury’s, as well as London councils.
The forum, which builds upon 20 months of engagement work between the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), TfL and the freight industry, included a number of presentations and workshops on the 2012 freight programme and sought the views and suggestions group members had for dealing with the transport challenges and opportunities the freight industry will face next summer.
Key issues discussed and identified at the meeting were:
• How best to adapt the regulatory framework for the freight industry to deal with the challenges thrown up by the 2012 Games;
• The most effective way of communicating with the industry and its customers;
• The critical importance of the timing and quality of the information provided to the industry
Leon Daniels, managing director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “The delivery of the Olympics is a huge job which can only be delivered successfully in partnership.
“Last week’s freight forum was an invaluable source of intelligence about what those involved in making and receiving deliveries will need to keep London running during the Games. It also confirmed that no one organisation or sector can achieve this alone – it will be a joint effort.
“The new postcode data we have released is an important part of the information we will be providing to London’s business community to allow them to plan for next year’s Games.”
Graham Inglis, chair of 2012 Freight Forum and CEO of DHL Supply Chain, said: “We know that come Games the transport network will be a lot busier. However, now is the time for businesses that rely on freight deliveries to get their action plans into shape.
“The aim is to minimise the impact of the Games on their daily operations, and the new postcode data that TfL has released will be critical to this planning process. It will be crucial in the coming months to identify potentially challenging areas to keep business operations running smoothly next year.”
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