Draft logistics plan for goods movement in Delhi

The industry department has released a plan called City Logistics Plan-Delhi which has recommended the development of three logistics distribution centres

Delhi’s industry department has come up with a plan to ease the movement of goods in the capital in a hassle-free and eco-friendly manner, officials aware of the development said on Saturday.

The plan suggests that the government needs to shift wholesale markets to outskirts and ensure adequate amount of space for businesses at these existing/ proposed facilities. (HT Archive)

The interstate and intrastate transportation of goods in New Delhi faces major challenges due to no-entry restrictions, traffic congestion and lack of adequate parking facilities, traders’ associations have long maintained. The absence of dedicated loading and unloading facilities at commercial centres added to the woes.

“Everyday, heavy goods vehicles are not allowed to enter the city between 7 am and 11 pm. At night, when restrictions are removed, the rush of vehicles waiting at the borders lead to traffic congestion,” said Rajender Kapoor, president of the All India Motor & Goods Transport Association.

To counter this the industry department has released a plan called City Logistics Plan-Delhi. The plan, which was put up in the public domain on Saturday for public feedback, has recommended the development of three logistics distribution centres on the borders of Delhi with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana so that heavy vehicles can avoid no-entry restrictions and traffic congestion at night. It has also suggested developing micro delivery hubs in the wards and green modes for last-mile deliveries, and restricting loading and unloading of goods on the roadside by developing dedicated spaces.

“Majority of these goods vehicles are running on diesel fuel and causing lot of air and noise pollution in the cities. Avoiding the movement of these larger trucks is required for improving cities livability and quality of life. UCLDC (urban consolidation and logistics distribution centres) are the facilities built on the outskirts of an urban area, utilised to separate the loads from multiple suppliers and sort them into area specific deliveries. The loads from the heavy vehicles can be consolidated into lighter CNG or electric vehicles for the final delivery into the city,” the plan stated.

“The government needs to shift wholesale markets to outskirts and ensure adequate amount of space for businesses at these existing/ proposed facilities, so that the businesses can operate as per their business requirement,” the plan suggested.

The plan has been approved by Delhi’s industry minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj. The final draft will soon be submitted to the Delhi cabinet for approval, an industry department official said, seeking anonymity. “After the cabinet approves it, the plan will help various government departments and agencies such as transport, development department, in decision making,” another official said, seeking to remain unnamed.

Bharadwaj did not respond to requests for comments.

Delhi is one of the largest commercial centres of the country with a focus on wholesale trade for a wide range of products and articles, said Brijesh Goyal, chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry. “The (latest) move will reduce logistics costs in Delhi and provide scope for improving efficiencies in logistics operations,” he said.