Identifying the Need for Freight to be Included in Local Authority Transport Planning - Sustainable Urban Logistics: Concepts, Methods and Information Systems - page 45

8 Conclusion
In this chapter we have introduced a view of the urban freight transport planning
situation of today, which aims to address the common perceptions and similarities
between different local authorities in selected European cities. Freight in general
has a negative impact on urban sustainability. However, traditionally regulations
imposed by local authorities (LEZ, charging, time windows, weight and length
restrictions etc.) can form a major barrier towards effective, efficient and sus-
tainable urban freight transport planning. Furthermore, a lack of enforcement of
these regulations can sometimes become counter-productive. This is evident from
the interview research discussed above, where operators highlighted the disparity
in enforcement amongst neighbouring local authorities. In Spain a lack of suffi-
cient surveillance and enforcement has led to huge problems with regulation
compliance and therefore research has predicted difficulties with adopting city
logistics schemes (Muñuzuri et al. 2012a ). However, Jäderberg ( 2012 ) has dem-
onstrated that improved city logistics schemes are possible, since they have been
achieved relatively easily in Gothenburg with the help of improved surveillance
and enforcement.
The analysis of the different local authorities strengthens previous results by
Lindholm and Behrends ( 2012 ) which identified that the cities face common
challenges in urban freight growth; that urban freight is seen as a disturbing factor;
and that the awareness and knowledge of freight movements are low. The research
performed as the basis for this chapter further develops earlier research by sug-
gesting that although freight is recognised in most urban areas as important for the
liveability of the urban area and its economy, the most common action by local
authorities with regards to urban freight movements is a reaction to complaints from
stakeholders (e.g. transport operators, shop owners or urban residents). Throughout
the interview studies discussed, it has been shown that it is the perceptions of the
individuals, combined with the individual local authorities having insufficient
interaction with freight stakeholders that create the main problems and barrier to the
integration of freight in urban transport planning. Discussions with some stake-
holders are evident, on some occasions such as FQP meetings, however these rarely
occur on a regular basis and there is little publication of their discussion topics and
outcomes. Hesse ( 1995 ) concluded back in the 1990s, that stakeholder cooperation
is a success factor for freight transport measures. However, the main findings from
the research discussed in this chapter show that there still remains very little
stakeholder cooperation within the local authority context today.
The research has demonstrated that there are several common perceptions
amongst local authorities and many similarities between different urban areas with
regard to urban freight transport. Therefore, we suggest that the focus should be
pointed more towards those, with less focus on the differences. Such differences
include for example that cities in Eastern Europe tend to oppose the trend towards
regulations and cooperation between stakeholders that their Western counterparts
have recalled positive experiences from, and raised knowledge and awareness of