Night-time deliveries during the Olympics

1st May 2012

The 2012 Games will have an impact on delivery and servicing activity across London.  In many cases, owing to temporary restrictions, it may only be possible to deliver between midnight and 6am to premises including shops, pubs, offices, hotels and restaurants.

Although many deliveries already occur ‘out-of-hours’ without causing problems, the increase in activity necessary during the Games will mean even greater attention needs to be paid to meeting the needs of businesses while minimising disruption to local residents.

To help organisations deal with this change, Transport for London has developed a code of practice for out-of-hours delivery and servicing during the Games.  It is designed to provide simple, practical guidance on how to minimise noise from night-time deliveries.

For example, it says businesses in London should ensure that staff, suppliers and carriers are aware of any changes in delivery profile and the reasons for them.  Copies of the code of practice should be sent to all parties likely to be servicing their premises during the Games.  It is particularly important that drivers are briefed as they play a critical role in minimising noise.  It is also recommended that a laminated copy of the code’s driver component be kept in the cab of vehicles delivering at night.

A statement from the DfT and London Councils makes it clear they will be sympathetic to the needs of businesses needing out-of-hours deliveries during the Games, when the Olympic Route Network, central London and around various venues will be affected by Games-related restrictions on key parts of the road network.