More green e-cargo bikes will deliver parcels to people’s doorsteps and better truck stops will help relieve local congestion, thanks to a £14m boost to drive innovation in freight and improve working conditions.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has revealed the 23 successful applicants of up to £4.5m from the government to improve truck stops and working conditions for lorry drivers.
The upgrades include 430 new lorry parking spaces to relieve local congestion by helping reduce the number of large trucks parking in town centres or on the side of the road.
The investment will also help build better dining, changing and rest facilities, as well as new CCTV and secure fencing to boost welfare and security for lorry drivers.
The funding is from the third year of the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme, which will come in addition to £8m from industry, for a total funding boost of £12.5m to improve truck stops.
This investment comes on top of £1.8m from the government for 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to trial new technology for decarbonising freight and driving innovation in the sector.
Examples of ideas that will become reality include TUAL working with Wincanton to trial high performance power banks for electric lorries, and Innervated Vehicle Engineering working in partnership with Asda to retrofit hydrogen power to small delivery vans.
This funding is the third tranche of the department’s Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator Programme, a £7 million government investment across 3 years to support the freight sector in deploying AI and automation.
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: "Freight is a crucial engine of our economy and it is only right we do all we can to improve working conditions, pioneer innovation and drive sustainability across the industry.
"Our funding, combined with investment from the industry, will ensure lorry drivers can enjoy safer parking, a proper rest and a warm meal, while supporting UK businesses to harvest the best of technology to move freight faster."