You can't put frieght on the rails unless your happy to build new massive distribution centers all over the country and then build the tracks to them. Then you need vehicles to deliver the stuff. One 44 ton artic can take the load of up 30 transit vans, or 15x 7.5 ton. So all those vehicles need to be constructed, fueled, and need a driver to. An average tesco can have 6 or 7 trucks a day, you really think you could afford to eat if they had to send 200+ transit vans a day??
It works in other cities around the world where they have the infrastructure for it. It's just such a big giant leap to take that no one is willing to do it. We don't have the depots, or the structure in place to enable this sort of behaviour.
Just imagine how less congested London or cities would be without large haulier vehicles clogging up the streets?
What's wrong with constructing vans and driving them? Sure it's an expense, but then you could offset that with the smaller fleet of HGVs, and better economic model of your business if you're able to be more efficient. I'm also not a fan of massive supermarkets - I understand that they work, and are convenient, but that's another debate.
The costs do not have to be higher - just because this is how we do things now, it doesn't mean that it is the right way.
How about as a compromise, freight trains which carry 100x that of 1 HGV, up and down the country for the major long hauls, and then your HGVs for the trip from the train depot to its onward journey? You could have your fleet of HGVs.
What I'm getting at, is if you think about it like a comms network - if you increase the main pipe, you can shift a lot more data - you may have to shuttle more of that data more times on the older infrastructure, but if your remove that old infrastructure and put in place a more efficient and regular way of transmitting data you get no delays. It's a bold vision I know - and unlikely to ever happen, but that's one of the ways I'd see one of the THOUSANDS of potential solutions of city congestion.
Also, a single decker bus is no shorter and no more nimble than a double, and the weight/fuel differance us neglible to. The doubles are always full during rush hour, you really think TFL will park them up the rest of day idle then buy 2nd fleet to run quiet times of day???
Well it is easier to power a single decker bus with hybrid tech as they need less power. I know the double decker buses are iconic and so on, but they were built in a time where there were less cars, and people couldn't afford to drive - now there are too many cars on the road and they add to the congestion. So either we need more efficient and more regular buses or less cars in London.
I use a bus daily and they are seldom full - the tube on the other hand....
In the small side streets of London they generally use single decker buses, as they are more manoeuvrable and smaller. Just like the smaller vans - yes you may need more of them, but they can get to their destination quicker, and go onto other jobs. If you used 15 hybrid / electrical 7.5T vehicles I dare say the emissions and efficiency would be better than a sub 10mpg HGV. Furthermore, when unloading they'd need less time, less space, and would cost businesses less as there would be no CC charge applicable.
I know it's a little pie in the sky, but I don't think the current way things are is sustainable or efficient. I was at a TfL innovation conference last week, and there are a lot of plans on how to improve traffic flow and efficiencies in London - however that's how I know that the CC hasn't had a positive impact on the traffic density.
I'm not saying you're wrong - I'm merely postulating that alternatives can potentially help. These are just ideas - I'm not trying to defend them really but from my exposure to city planning and transport infrastructure it just seems to fit better. However, I'm a day dreamer.
Sorry.
