The Goods Distribution Board for the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona

Goods distribution and logistics in urban areas is one of the main challenges to face in the future to reduce the impacts related to mobility and environment; as well as to improve the competitiveness of this important sector. In order to tackle this goal, the Government of Catalonia and the MTA of Barcelona have created the Goods Distribution Board with the participation of 30 stakeholders, including members from the private sector, associations and different levels of administration, among others.

Main goals:

To Increase Efficiency, Management, Optimisation and Quality of the System.
To Favour Competitivity.
To Incorporate New Technologies and Innovation: R+D+I.
To bring rationality to the Goods Sector at metropolitan level, by means of an integrated vision.
To provide a response to the impact of the Logistics Sector on the environment and mobility.

Working context:

Logistics Observatory: point of contact between companies and the decisive agents to integrate the needs of the business fabric with the planning and the management of infrastructures and services.
Mobility Master Plan (PDM 2013-2018): it includes measures associated with the improvement of the efficiency of the Goods Sector, with regard to the network (signposting, parking lots, ...) as well as to the modernisation of the Logistics Sector.
Air Quality Improvement Plan of Action: this sector is responsible for an important part of the emissions in the RMB (Metropolitan Region of Barcelona), both in terms of NOx (12.250 tonnes/year) and PM (810 tonnes/year).

Working groups:

Group 1: DUM (Urban Goods Distribution). Activities:

To encourage renovation of the fleet and provide incentives for adhesion to the distinctive of fleets, and to promote efficiency driving.
To harmonise aspects of local goods legislation.
Silent and non-contaminating nocturnal distribution systems.
“Last mile” distribution in efficient vehicles. E-commerce and ‘packstations’. A study of the timetable regulation system. Extending existing Good Practices.

Group 2: Goods Vehicles Infrastructures. Activities:

To establish the bases for an improvement of goods vehicle circulation and service infrastructures.
The improvement of the vehicle parking network.
A strategy for the improvement of information and signposting for goods vehicles and the accessibility to the logistics nodes.

Group 3: Integral Information Technology Platform. Activities:

Technological innovations for the improvement of information for goods vehicles and the optimisation of their routes.
Improvements in the monitoring and quantification of the environmental impact of goods distribution.
Benchmarking and good practices dissemination strategy.
The promotion of studies aimed at the acceleration of the modernisation of the goods fleet.