Bilbao receives the Spanish National Award for Best Project of the Year in the field of Freight Transport for the European project FREILOT
Bilbao received in April the National Award for Best Project of the Year in the field of Freight Transport for the European project FREILOT. Asier Abaunza Deputy Councillor for Traffic and Circulation received the prize in Barcelona awarded by the national association ITS España.
The city of Bilbao received the award over twelve other candidatures for its innovative character and for the involvement of the Municipality of Bilbao in the roll-out of the European project FREILOT in a real-life environment: the streets of Bilbao. This initiative promoted by the Municipality of Bilbao and the Euskadi Mobility and Logistics Cluster with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% also aims to reduce the negative effects of traffic free parking spaces for use by residents and reduce noise resulting in a greener and less congested city.
The project is 50% funded by the European Commission with a total budget of 4 million Euros and is being piloted in Bilbao since last October prior to its possible deployment as a model for urban freight distribution ready for export to other European cities fleet operators and users.
Conceived to streamline urban freight distribution improve energy efficiency and respect the environment the project consists of an automatic delivery space booking system for delivery vehicles; a simple internet based interface for the user but with a complex technical and logistical framework needed behind the scenes.
Since its launch more than 100 carriers have signed up to the initiative. Since March it has been open to all carriers operating in Bilbao specifically in the four zones reserved for the project in the city: Licenciado Poza Santutxu General Concha y Pérez Galdós.
The FREILOT consortium consists of project leaders ERTICO – ITS Europe the city of Bilbao the Euskadi Mobility and Logistics Cluster Basque companies Azkar Gertek and Transport Nanuk the towns of Krakow Helmond and Ville de Lyon and Grand Lyon and the agencies and European companies Volvo Renault Trucks Peek Traffic Solutions Interface Transports Van den Broek Logistics Polis Thetis CERTH CNRS-LET University of Lyon and CTAG.
New Urban Goods Distribution Plan
The participation of Bilbao in the FREILOT pilot project is part of the new Urban Freight Distribution Optimisation Plan which the Municipality of Bilbao and the Euskadi Mobility and Logistics Cluster have headed with the support and collaboration of all the urban freight stakeholders of the city.
It is in this context and in agreement with all parties that the Plan came about with the aim of realising a more comfortable efficient and sustainable distribution system for all and which promotes solutions aimed at lessening the negative effects of traffic freeing parking spaces for use by residents and reducing noise and CO2 emissions.
For further information on the FREILOT project please contact: Zeljko Jeftic – Project Coordinator
Link to original Article
http://www.ertico.com/bilbao-receives-the-national-award-for-best-project-of-the-year-for-the-european-project-freilot/
Original Publication Date: Tue 12 Apr 2011
