The third annual Freight in the City Expo started true to transport with a bacon butty breakfast at the Ally Pally, North London former BBC site with views across London and the reality of a City with air quality issues.

The Ally Pally Freight in the City Expo moved into the Great Hall as more vehicles, equipment and technology were on showcase to make urban deliveries cleaner, safer and quieter. Alongside this, a packed seminar programme opening with Venn Chesterton from TRL and Express key notes from operators, Gnewt, Sam Clarke and CitySprint Ali Kagalwalla.

Industry speakers focused on exploring practical examples of sustainable city logistics operations from around the world.

On the eve of the Lo-City Alexandra Palace show, the Mayor of London confirmed (Friday Nov 3rd) plans for the next major stage of his hard-hitting measures to help tackle London’s lethal air pollution and dramatically reduce harmful emissions with the early introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London from 8th April 2019.

Clean air, alternative fuel van discussion hosted at London Met University, Moorgate.

Perfect mix of guests with operators alongside tech, manufacturers and govt to talk clean air, electric-centric, but other fuels on the table. TRL, TfL and DFT in the mix for discussions. Carl Lomas chairing sorted frank exchange discussions as operators talked about a jigsaw of options.

Top level TFL briefing: Ultra Low emission zone ULEZ will arrive 17 months early.

It begins April 2019 – Tim Ward TFL, ‘working with you we can improve air quality.’

IOC chairman Carl Lomas was with Tim Ward TFL for the ULEZ briefing. Tim welcomed the freight sector to the TFL 55 Broadway building in SW1, originally the ten floors rising from St James tube station was the tallest tower block in London.  Buildings, like emissions, have moved on. It was an energetic and operator-engaged discussion as the ULEZ date races forward.

LoCity TfL Van group hosted on hydrogen for June meeting , clean air final mile deliveries, alternative fuels, a transition policy, electric cargo bikes, Kings College driver air survey.

Chair Carl Lomas, ‘The van group clearly has two streams, operators who return vehicles for fuel or charge to their base and operators whose drivers take vehicles home, they are unlikely to have off-street parking, garage or charging facilities. Infastructure has been voted the biggest challenge, charge points for electric. The group is a little electric-centric but solutions of consolidation, cycle and cargo bike are high on the operators' agenda. Training to save fuel remains high on the agenda for clean air and FORS were at the June meeting to showcase.

Arcola energy hosted the June meeting of LoCity van group, focused on alternative fuel vehicle solutions for London clean air and chaired by Carl Lomas IoC. Guests included CitySprint, Addison Lee, Tesco dot com, Ocado, DLR and the tube van support teams amongst the big London van fleets.

Three halls of the NEC for the 2017 CV show; rich in vans, lean and green as LoCity technology was awash with electricity and gas. Big stage for Ford showcase and by hall three it was all gas for small vans with the Autogas team of Paul Oxford.

IOC Carl Lomas took time out on the FORS stand to meet the AECOM delivery team. With leading exhibitors such as Ford, MAN, DAF, VW, Renault, Citroen and many more displaying their latest products on stands across three halls it was touch and feel to see everything and everyone under one roof.