Geodis rolls-out green delivery scheme in Paris
Geodis has launched an environmentally-friendly initiative in Paris, called Distripolis, which provides a new way of transporting goods in urban areas. The operator said that the scheme “promotes an approach to final-kilometre logistics that is more respectful of the environment and the inhabitants of large cities”.
For deliveries in to the French capital, Geodis will send shipments to its logistics centre in Bercy. From there they will be delivered to one of eight ‘BLUE’ centres across Paris’ city centre. From the ‘BLUE’ centres, final-kilometre delivery of packages of up to 200kg will be carried out by environmentally-friendly vehicles, namely power-assisted tricycles and electric light commercial vehicles. For packages above 200kg, deliveries will be done with Euro 5-compliant trucks and, in the long-term, Euro 6-compliant or hybrid trucks.
Distripolis will be rolled-out in Paris this year, with Geodis expecting to expand into other major French cities and also European capitals over the course of the next five years.
The implementation of Distripolis “will be reflected in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and atmospheric pollution, together with a decrease in sound pollution”, the company said.
Distripolis was unveiled by Guillaume Pepy, chairman of SNCF and Pierre Blayau, CEO of SNCF Geodis, in the presence of Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, French minister of sustainable development, transport and housing, and Christian Sautter, deputy mayor of Paris.
As early as this year, the environmental impact of Distripolis in Paris will be reflected by a 365-tonne equivalent reduction in CO2, greenhouse gases and particulate matter – an 18% reduction against Geodis’ current activity in the capital.
A spokesperson said: “The impact will be considerably stronger when the system is fully in place in 2015, with an annual reduction of 1,747 tonnes equivalent of CO2, greenhouse gases and particulate matter – a full 85% less than today.”
Distripolis’ implementation in Paris will last from 2011 to 2015. In 2011 and 2012 the Paris Bercy and Gare Montparnasse BLUE bases will be opened with 20 Electron electric vehicles and eight power-assisted tricycles. Between 2012 and 2014 the opening of the Gare du Nord, Gare Saint-Lazare, Les Halles and Avenue Foch BLUE bases will take the tally of Electrons to 31 and the number of power-assisted tricycles to 40. Rollout will be completed in 2015 with the opening of the Quartier Latin and Gare de l’Est BLUE bases, or a total 75 Electrons and 56 power-assisted tricycles. Geodis confirmed that vehicles departing from BLUE bases are clean and silent.
