City Logistics Becomes a Victim of the Road Traffic Regulations

According to the logistics think tank Club of Logistics, the consequences of the amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations will drastically increase the burdens on drivers of courier, express, and parcel (KEP) services and further diminish the attractiveness of the profession – with serious repercussions for the logistics industry.

(Dortmund) Since the end of April, the amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) has been in effect. It has serious negative consequences for logistics in city centers, particularly affecting parcel delivery drivers. For example, fines for illegal parking on sidewalks and bike lanes, stopping in protection zones, and parking or stopping in the second row have been increased to 110 euros. More severe violations also result in a point being added to the driving eligibility register if other road users are obstructed or endangered. Given the countless routes that drivers undertake in city centers today, the withdrawal of the driving license, which occurs at eight points on the account, is a real threat.

Increase in Fines, Decrease in Stopping Space

Peter H. Voß, managing director of the Club of Logistics, sees the amendment as an example of “rampant thoughtless activism”: “Times change quickly. Just a few weeks ago, politicians were singing praises of ‘system-relevant logistics.’ Now, measures are promptly following that prove to be existentially threatening for the already scarce drivers of city logistics. The number and size of delivery zones are decreasing, the space for unloading is becoming tighter, and the penalties for short-term violations are becoming increasingly severe. At the same time, however, the demands for delivery quality, precise delivery deadlines, speed, and flexibility in parcel delivery are rising, not to mention the ongoing issue of free returns. People want pleasant parking options in their neighborhoods, but please no delivery traffic for the packages they order in ever-growing quantities. This squaring of the circle is becoming an even more challenging task due to the amendment. It will lead young people to think three times before taking up a profession that forces them to make about 30 stops on a single route, for which increasingly no legally available space is left. Here, conflicting societal needs are imposed on heavily burdened workers, for which a strong consumer lobby has apparently found the ear of politics. How the ‘system-relevant logistics’ is supposed to cope with this seems to be left to its own devices.”

Individual Decision Without a Concept

Peter Voß considers the amendment particularly harmful because it was made as an individual decision without a broader and more comprehensive conceptualization of city logistics. “It’s as if the railway is dismantling several tracks in the face of increasing congestion at a station. City centers are already facing the necessity of creating new delivery options. Ideas for this have long existed, such as consolidated deliveries, where neighborhoods are divided and served by only one KEP service, the nationwide introduction of provider-independent parcel stations, or micro-depots for parcel delivery in urban areas. The best solution would be a flexible combination of the mentioned ideas, supplemented by a massive expansion of the decentralized parcel box system and the inclusion of public transport vehicles in a suitably designed system of micro hubs. However, a regulatory measure would be particularly important, namely the abolition of free returns to curb the explosive growth of parcel volumes. Only within a holistic logistics framework for supplying city centers do the measures introduced in the amendment make sense.”

Long-term Economic Damage

The consequences of further constraining logistics would cause noticeable economic damage in the long run, according to the Club’s managing director. “After Corona, there is constant talk of restarting and revitalizing the German economy. However, the framework conditions for this do not seem to be improving at all, rather the opposite. The constantly growing number of ‘decisions’ especially in light of environmental and climate decisions repeatedly burdens the economy anew. On the path of de-industrialization, we have already made significant progress in Germany thanks to the energy transition. The amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations could contribute to the ‘system-relevant’ logistics industry joining the procession of decline.
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