Within our Project “CIVITAS DESTINATIONS” STRATAGEM developed a Sustainable Urban Logistic Plan (SULP), considering that the city centre was very busy especially during peak hours, creating a lot of traffic problems such as congestion, noise and air pollution as well as hazards for pedestrians due to freight logistic vehicles parking on sidewalks and pedestrian routes for unloading purposes. The SULP has been reviewed and approved by Limassol Municipality on 21/01/2019 and can be found here.
Freight distribution is an increasingly important part of modern city life. Most goods consumed in our cities originate externally and the transport elements within the cities are often referred to as the “last mile” in the supply chain. For urban areas the last mile poses the greatest problems for the environment, customers/citizens and logistics service providers. Therefore, promoting and sustaining alternative and sustainable strategies and solutions suitable to the urban environment is a critical aspect of urban transport planning.
The vision for Limassol is to create a more sustainable, safer and greener city where both tourists and locals can enjoy their stay. Limassol used to suffer from congestion, poor air quality and noise pollution, road accidents and minimal use of sustainable modes of transportation such as public transport, e-cars, bicycles or walking. After the SULP implementation, tourists can enjoy their holidays without any risk as pedestrians and can enjoy the city center of Limassol with less traffic, reduced emissions and free sidewalks. Limassol is becoming an even more attractive destination for tourists as freight services will be greatly reduced in the city center.
The objective of the SULP is to introduce innovative solutions regarding the traffic flow from freight logistics, the efficient distribution of the goods, the noise and environmental pollution, and hazards for the pedestrians due to illegal parking of freight logistics as well as road disturbances. The Plan evolve the city center of Limassol and change the behavior of stakeholders and key players.
The measures implemented in the SULP include:
• Study of the economic activities based on commerce, services and tourism sectors within the city center of Limassol.
• Organization of a logistic plan and implementation of an on-going access control system for mobility management, including the type of goods, the area and timetables with limitations.
• Development of an online platform for the management of key freight actors for a more efficient distribution of goods.
• Set up forums with the participation of local stakeholders who will define solutions for the efficient transportation of goods.
• Examination of incentives opportunities for transportation companies to renew their fleet with electric vehicles.
Limassol city center is moving towards a more sustainable urban freight city and STRATAGEM is pleased to be part of this initiative.
