The role of intermediary organizations in influencing urban deliveries to receivers/establishments

• Most urban freight research has focused on the need to change the behaviour of transport operators (carriers) either through incentives or more commonly through regulation. In the past few years researchers have started to address the scope to involve receivers (mainly retailers) in the reduction of urban freight trips. Typical initiatives include joint procurement or the possible use of consolidation centres. However, this focus on carriers and receivers potentially ignores the role of intermediary organisations that can strongly influence the patterns of urban freight movements and the way in which deliveries are made in urban centres. These intermediary organizations cover a wide variety of types including: Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), public sector purchasing coordinators that establish framework contracts and in the private sector - facilities managers. The paper explores the activities of 10 intermediary organisations in Sweden, UK and USA. An exploratory case study approach has been adopted and the activities of the organisations are summarised in order to enable acomparative assessment to be made. Findings support the contention that intermediary organisations have a powerful role to play in influencing urban freight demand and that their ability to bring together individual receivers is a significant opportunity for achieving more rapid and profound changes in urban freight flows and vehicle movements. The scope for changing procurement in both the public and private sector is also highlighted as one outcome of the research.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Transportteknik och logistik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Transport Systems and Logistics (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

intermediary organisations

BIDs

urban deliveries

receivers

procurement

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)