Research project S3/C3/006 (Research action S3)
The aim of the INFACT project, carried out by BRRC (Belgian Road Research Centre; OCW/CRR; coordinator) and the Universities of Antwerp (UA) and Namur (FUNDP – GRT), is to understand better freight traffic organization in urban areas and the impacts of strategies and policies that could be set up in that field. The study examines both sides of inner city freight traffic: the logistic activities performed by general companies for themselves or by professional road haulers (supply side/upstream part of the supply chain) on the one hand and freight traffic conducted by households on the other hand (demand side/downstream part of the supply side).
Objectives of INFACT:
The main goals of this project are, simultaneously:
to make an inventory of freight research in Brussels and to define urban goods transport and cities
to set up a methodology and to conduct a pilot survey exploring household freight transport habits
to produce a typology of logistics organizations within cities and to structure and to model these various possible ways of organizing freight transport in cities
to integrate and to assess the links between both approaches (goods transport at supply and at demand side)
Results of INFACT
Urban freight is actually a large term. Not only goods vehicles are elements of urban freight. It should be well considered which kind of vehicles and which kind of activities are included in the definition of urban freight. The downstream approach is often missing, despite its great importance in urban surroundings.
At the demand side, the pilot exercise showed that the “intercept and follow” technique is a technique that can be applied to transport studies. It has advantages and disadvantages comparing with other better known survey techniques. A representative number of respondents can be found to understand the purchase behaviour of the customers at a certain shop at a certain place. The logbook is interesting to get an idea of the purchase characteristics (and related transport journeys) of individuals over a certain period.
The size of sample of this pilot survey was not large enough (it was neither the purpose) to draw significant conclusions from the obtained results. Nevertheless some indications can be filtered out. The stated problems and difficulties (practical issues and problems related with the understanding of the questionnaire itself) can be used to methodologically improve a real size inquiry which is necessary to be able to make conclusions about the shopping behaviour of customers.
At the supply side, an estimation of costs (taken into account transport costs, store costs, consolidation costs and external costs) has been achieved. Three logistic conceptions were simulated: namely the case of direct transport, indirect transport with an urban distribution centre and indirect transport via cross-docking towards an urban destination. The developed model makes it possible to simulate the effect of different policy measures on the global welfare. Results show e.g. that it is not always the best method (looking at the global welfare) to replace e.g. large goods vehicles by small goods vehicles. The sensitivity analyses can retrieve the change in costs when the value of one or more variables alters. This enables the authorities to test different policy measures. Other variables can also easily be integrated in the model.
There are a lot of policy measures available to influence urban freight transport like e.g. the application of taxes, restrictions for freight vehicles, urban prescripts or time windows. Authorities should consider which one suits the best for a particular situation. The reason why the distribution sector has been studied is the potential relationship between the upstream part and the downstream part of the supply chain. The store itself acts as an interface between both transport streams. This relationship is quite important because it means that any measure related to one or the other side of the chain could affect also the other part. Hence, any policy aiming at improving the mobility of the deliveries or the purchase travel behaviour must keep this mutual relationship in mind.
The surface that the storekeeper disposes of for his different activities (storage, selling and loading/unloading goods, parking space and other activities like administrative work) can explain his strategy to a large extent. In case of capacity constraints, policy measures will affect the strategy of the logistics actors. If there is no capacity constraints they will be less influenced by imposed urban freight measures.
The knowledge about both transport flows and their potential relationship is necessary in order to assess and to choose the best practical policy measures. A typology of customers and a typology of suppliers are also necessary. At last, a typology of the surroundings is needed due to their big influence on both transport flows. This is the first step in a global sustainable mobility policy approach.
Integrated freight analysis within cities (INFACT) : final report
Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2005 (SP1550)
[To download]
Integrated freight analysis within cities (INFACT) : additional report
Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2005 (SP1551)
[To download]
Integrated freight analysis within cities (INFACT) : summary
Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2005 (SP1552)
[To download]
