Fastlane calls for urban freight hubsWith two days to go until the UK General Election, London-based global courier Fastlane International is calling on all the UK’s parties to pledge to reduce congestion, ease access and reduce emissions in our towns and cities by introducing urban freight hubs .

Fastlane International’s head of Public Relations, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘This election result looks like being extremely close; however one vital area of reform has not been addressed by any of the UK’s major parties, and that is the construction of urban freight hubs, which would take lorries off our city streets, reducing congestion and pollution.’

David continues: ‘All of the UK’s major parties have some constructive things to say on reducing pollution and emissions; but a General Election is the ideal platform for setting out bold ideas such as creating city freight hubs. Britain’s busy road freight network is essential to the success of our economy. However, it could be further improved by having Heavy Goods Vehicles deliver business, retail and domestic goods to freight hubs; rather than taking such large vehicles onto narrow city roads. These items would then be sorted and loaded onto smaller, greener, vehicles for final delivery into shops, work places and homes.’

Says David: ‘In an election as tight as this one promises to be, issues such as the development of such hubs would be a bold new idea to capture voters’ imaginations. Electric vans and even cycles can be used for Last Mile deliveries, taking artics out of our urban streets and cutting emissions dramatically. In the first four days of January this year London’s Oxford Street hit its entire air pollution legal limit for the year. Clearly a rethink is needed, and when is a better time for a clear political lead than at a General Election?’