The Possibility of Reducing Individual Motorised Traffic through the Location of Collection Points Using the Example of Gdańsk, Poland
Grażyna Chaberek-Karwacka
Abstract
Problems in urban areas at present are caused by the high traffic volumes of motor vehicles. Changing commercial behaviour into e-commerce reduces the need for individual customers to visit shopping centres and increases the need for freight transport to geographically dispersed consumers. In this case, one solution to reduce the number of lorry journeys may be collection points, such as a network of parcel lockers. However, the use of collection points has only a limited impact on reducing the number of cars on the streets because half of the journeys to parcel lockers are still made by car. This study assumes that consumers’ choice of how to collect their parcels depends on the available infrastructure and the time needed to reach the pick-up point, which depends on the distance from the place of residence/work/school. The purpose of this research was to analyse the location of collection points in relation to the alternative infrastructure and places of residence/work/school using Gdańsk, Poland, as an example. The analysis showed that collection points are usually easily accessible by car, are not always accessible by foot, and in only a few cases are easily accessible by bicycle.