French postal group La Poste has unveiled plans to create 80 'micro hubs' for final-mile deliveries in Paris as part of a co-operative effort with the city council to develop 'green' urban logistics provision.
“The City of Paris and La Poste are working in close collaboration to reduce inconvenience linked to deliveries in a context of changing modes of consumption and the growth of e-commerce,” the French postal utility said in a statement.
“Transporting goods around the city in optimum conditions which ensure that parcel deliveries respect the environment is the common goal of La Poste and the City of Paris,” it added.
La Poste, which was a signatory of a 'charter for sustainable urban logistics,' initiated by the City of Paris in 2013, underlined that the development of e-commerce had led to growth in the number of parcels delivered in city centres, adding that customers expected even more flexibility and immediacy in the delivery of their purchases.
In 2016, La Poste delivered 100,000 parcels to Parisians on a daily basis. By 2025, the number will have increased three-fold.
The City of Paris has responded to this context by setting objectives to tackle air pollution and global warming while at the same time making sure that these new modes of consumption are well-integrated into the existing commercial environment.
It has just adopted a new 'Climate Plan' where one of the major targets is to exclude diesel and petrol-driven vehicles from the city by 2024 and 2030 respectively.
The aim is to accompany logistics players in coming up with more environmentally-friendly distribution models and provide greater scope for 'soft mode' deliveries – on foot and by bicycle.
La Poste's 80 micro hubs in the French capital would essentially operate as neighbourhood distribution centres catering for both private customers and businesses and serving as the departure point for 'soft mode' delivery rounds to addresses within a 600-metre radius.
The micro hubs will also be equipped with lockers, open 24/7, adding to the pick-up options offered to Parisians.
“Establishing last mile logistics infrastructure in the heart of the city will allow Parisians to have closer and more flexible access to parcels. In Paris, it is already possible to take delivery of a parcel at home, at a post office, at designated pick-up points and at Pickup lockers.”
La Poste said the micro hubs will also offer innovative solutions to traders, allowing them, for example, to deposit articles for customers in lockers outside of the opening hours of their stores.
“They would also lead to limiting the number of delivery vehicles and consequently, a diminution in congestion, parking difficulties and noise pollution and contribute to a more peaceful heart of the city.”
La Poste did not disclose when the micro hubs were scheduled to be operational, only that they would enter service “gradually depending on available locations and the interest of Parisians in using them.”
The French group said it already deployed a fleet of environmentally-friendly vehicles in Paris and by the time the Olympic Games are held in Paris in 2024, “hopes to be able to deliver all parcels in clean, carbon-free mode with a maximum of parcels delivered on foot and by bicycle. Only a few trucks, powered by natural gas or by a low emission engine will enter the city to supply the micro hubs.”
In a separate initiative, XPO Logistics is a key partner in an innovative, intermodal urban logistics project set to go live in Paris in 2018.
A logistics platform located in the northern suburbs of the French capital, in proximity to the Gare du Nord, will be served by a train shuttle transporting up to 60 freight containers per trip. XPO Logistics' role will be to handle last-mile deliveries to Paris' arrondissements and inner suburbs using ‘clean fuel’-powered vehicles.
