- to reduce pollution and frivolous ordering.
apple.news
Seems like a good idea to me on the face of it.
Thoughts?
Web shoppers face levy on deliveries to cut pollution — The Times and The Sunday Times
Internet shoppers could be hit by a compulsory delivery charge as part of a campaign to cut congestion and toxic emissions, The Times has learnt. The government is considering a range of measures to reduce the damaging impact of the e-commerce boom, which has led to a rise in delivery vans on...
Internet shoppers could be hit by a compulsory delivery charge as part of a campaign to cut congestion and toxic emissions, The Times has learnt.
The government is considering a range of measures to reduce the damaging impact of the e-commerce boom, which has led to a rise in delivery vans on British roads.
A report from the Department for Transport’s scientific advisers recommended a “mandatory charge”, similar to that imposed for plastic bags, on all Amazon-style consumer deliveries.
It said that the introduction of free and next-day delivery deals had led to “unnecessary over-ordering”, with some people immediately sending back clothes they no longer wanted free of charge. Mandatory charges may be needed to “encourage more sustainable behaviour”, ministers were told.
The DfT said that it was considering the conclusions and could launch a public consultation on the measures.
The move comes amid growing concern over the impact of internet shopping on the environment and congestion in built-up areas.
According to latest DfT figures, annual nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from vans soared by 43 per cent to 99,300 tonnes between 2007 and 2017. Total NOx emissions from all other forms of road transport including cars, buses and HGVs fell sharply over the same period. In all, vans caused a quarter of NOx road transport emissions in 2017 – more than three times the amount from HGVs.
Light commercial vehicles, a category that includes delivery vans, cumulatively travelled 50.4 billion miles in Britain in the year to the end of March, a 24 per cent rise in a decade. It was more than four times the average rise seen for all vehicles. The vast majority of vans are diesel-powered.
NOx causes breathing difficulties and long-term exposure can lead to chronic lung disease.
The DfT provides a grant of £8,000 to reduce the cost of an electric van.
A spokeswoman said: “Cutting congestion and vehicle emissions in our towns and cities is absolutely key to improving air quality and building a greener transport network. We continue to work closely with experts on the best ways to achieve that and to meet our ambitious 2050 net-zero target.”
The DfT’s science advisory council was commissioned last year to investigate “last mile logistics”, including how the government should “respond to the way this market is developing”.
The group’s report, published this month, said that the industry had boomed on the back of free, next-day and even next-hour deliveries of food, clothing and other goods.
The report said: “Several online retailers are now offering a ‘pay for what you keep’ service at no delivery or return charge to the consumer. This enables customers to request far more than they expect to purchase, to enable them to make their final decision at home.”
The figures revealed that goods valued at £2.4 billion were returned after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in December 2018.
The report acknowledged the benefits of internet shopping, such as fewer people driving to shops. However, its authors recommended that some of the impacts of e-commerce could be minimised by incentivising customers to accept longer delivery times and consolidating deliveries to several people in the same neighbourhood.
Officials also said that problems could be tackled by “explicitly passing the true cost of delivery and return to the customer [which] could reduce unnecessary over-ordering”.
“A mandatory charge, similar to that implemented by the government to discourage plastic carrier bag use, could be applied to all consumer deliveries and returns to encourage consumers to recognise their true business, societal and environmental cost, and hence encourage more sustainable behaviour,” it added.
The DfT was urged to formally consult the public and industry on measures to reduce the “negative impacts of last mile delivery and encourage more sustainable online shopping behaviours”, which could include a standard charge. It is not known how much the charge could be or how it would impact services, such as Amazon Prime, the £79-a-year scheme that offers free delivery.
At present delivery charges differ depending on the amount spent and the delivery time.
The online clothing retailer Asos charges £4 for deliveries but waives charges for orders above £35. It also has free returns through Hermes-registered stores and the Post Office. Amazon customers can qualify for free deliveries on orders of more than £20.
Many supermarkets offer free deliveries, with Sainsbury’s doing so on orders above £100 after 2pm on weekdays. Supermarkets also run subscription services with unlimited deliveries for a nominal charge, often starting from £5 a month. Ocado charges £10.99 a month.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Making consumers pay the true cost of delivery could make people more selective in what they order and what they return. But if the cost is too high then shoppers might decide the cheaper option is to browse the shops in person, which is potentially good for the high street but less so for traffic volumes.”
The DfT told The Times that it was “not obligated to follow this independent advice” but insisted it would “fully consider and engage with it”, including the recommendation to consult on reducing the impacts of deliveries.
Robo-dogs do the leg work
Battery-powered “robo-dogs” could be used to deliver goods under plans to phase out diesel vans.
A study commissioned by the Department for Transport said that autonomous “dog-like” systems were being developed that could carry goods up and down stairs. They would be used alongside wheeled vehicles to carry goods the last few metres to the front door.
Starship Technologies of California has tested small robotic self-driving carts in Milton Keynes, which use cameras, ultrasound sensors, radar and GPS to navigate their environment and make deliveries in a four-mile radius.
Amazon is pioneering the use of drones and electric cargo bikes are also being used across the UK.
The government is considering a range of measures to reduce the damaging impact of the e-commerce boom, which has led to a rise in delivery vans on British roads.
A report from the Department for Transport’s scientific advisers recommended a “mandatory charge”, similar to that imposed for plastic bags, on all Amazon-style consumer deliveries.
It said that the introduction of free and next-day delivery deals had led to “unnecessary over-ordering”, with some people immediately sending back clothes they no longer wanted free of charge. Mandatory charges may be needed to “encourage more sustainable behaviour”, ministers were told.
The DfT said that it was considering the conclusions and could launch a public consultation on the measures.
The move comes amid growing concern over the impact of internet shopping on the environment and congestion in built-up areas.
According to latest DfT figures, annual nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from vans soared by 43 per cent to 99,300 tonnes between 2007 and 2017. Total NOx emissions from all other forms of road transport including cars, buses and HGVs fell sharply over the same period. In all, vans caused a quarter of NOx road transport emissions in 2017 – more than three times the amount from HGVs.
Light commercial vehicles, a category that includes delivery vans, cumulatively travelled 50.4 billion miles in Britain in the year to the end of March, a 24 per cent rise in a decade. It was more than four times the average rise seen for all vehicles. The vast majority of vans are diesel-powered.
NOx causes breathing difficulties and long-term exposure can lead to chronic lung disease.
The DfT provides a grant of £8,000 to reduce the cost of an electric van.
A spokeswoman said: “Cutting congestion and vehicle emissions in our towns and cities is absolutely key to improving air quality and building a greener transport network. We continue to work closely with experts on the best ways to achieve that and to meet our ambitious 2050 net-zero target.”
The DfT’s science advisory council was commissioned last year to investigate “last mile logistics”, including how the government should “respond to the way this market is developing”.
The group’s report, published this month, said that the industry had boomed on the back of free, next-day and even next-hour deliveries of food, clothing and other goods.
The report said: “Several online retailers are now offering a ‘pay for what you keep’ service at no delivery or return charge to the consumer. This enables customers to request far more than they expect to purchase, to enable them to make their final decision at home.”
The figures revealed that goods valued at £2.4 billion were returned after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in December 2018.
The report acknowledged the benefits of internet shopping, such as fewer people driving to shops. However, its authors recommended that some of the impacts of e-commerce could be minimised by incentivising customers to accept longer delivery times and consolidating deliveries to several people in the same neighbourhood.
Officials also said that problems could be tackled by “explicitly passing the true cost of delivery and return to the customer [which] could reduce unnecessary over-ordering”.
“A mandatory charge, similar to that implemented by the government to discourage plastic carrier bag use, could be applied to all consumer deliveries and returns to encourage consumers to recognise their true business, societal and environmental cost, and hence encourage more sustainable behaviour,” it added.
The DfT was urged to formally consult the public and industry on measures to reduce the “negative impacts of last mile delivery and encourage more sustainable online shopping behaviours”, which could include a standard charge. It is not known how much the charge could be or how it would impact services, such as Amazon Prime, the £79-a-year scheme that offers free delivery.
At present delivery charges differ depending on the amount spent and the delivery time.
The online clothing retailer Asos charges £4 for deliveries but waives charges for orders above £35. It also has free returns through Hermes-registered stores and the Post Office. Amazon customers can qualify for free deliveries on orders of more than £20.
Many supermarkets offer free deliveries, with Sainsbury’s doing so on orders above £100 after 2pm on weekdays. Supermarkets also run subscription services with unlimited deliveries for a nominal charge, often starting from £5 a month. Ocado charges £10.99 a month.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Making consumers pay the true cost of delivery could make people more selective in what they order and what they return. But if the cost is too high then shoppers might decide the cheaper option is to browse the shops in person, which is potentially good for the high street but less so for traffic volumes.”
The DfT told The Times that it was “not obligated to follow this independent advice” but insisted it would “fully consider and engage with it”, including the recommendation to consult on reducing the impacts of deliveries.
Robo-dogs do the leg work
Battery-powered “robo-dogs” could be used to deliver goods under plans to phase out diesel vans.
A study commissioned by the Department for Transport said that autonomous “dog-like” systems were being developed that could carry goods up and down stairs. They would be used alongside wheeled vehicles to carry goods the last few metres to the front door.
Starship Technologies of California has tested small robotic self-driving carts in Milton Keynes, which use cameras, ultrasound sensors, radar and GPS to navigate their environment and make deliveries in a four-mile radius.
Amazon is pioneering the use of drones and electric cargo bikes are also being used across the UK.
Seems like a good idea to me on the face of it.
Thoughts?
