By Michael Stokoe, Associate Director - Freight and Servicing, Transport for NSW

Since January 2016 there has been a Courier Hub operating out of Goulburn Street Car Park.  This is a joint project between Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and City of Sydney.

The Courier Hub provides an alternative path for deliveries into the Sydney CBD.  It provides couriers with alternative off street parking spots, cages and lockers used to transfer goods between delivery operators.

By using the Courier Hub a van driver does not need to park and take multiple trips within the CBD but can hand over items (via the cage or lockers) to a bike or walking courier who can complete the final delivery leg, getting around the CBD far more easily than a van.  This does not work for bigger items but can accommodate a high volume of small parcel deliveries.

How it works?

Quite simply, TfNSW and City of Sydney have provided the infrastructure. It is up to couriers how they use the lockers/cages we allocate to them. They must apply their own systems and process to its use.

The Courier Hub currently gets visited by about 60 couriers per day as they transfer goods from van to bike and also bike to van for orders coming into and going out of the CBD respectively. Over half the movements each day are by bikes. There are also some walking trips made from the Hub. In so doing the Courier Hub facilitates and reduces the amount of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) driving into and around the Sydney CBD.

Who uses it?

In line with our interests the Hub is a common use facility. There are approximately 10 courier companies currently using it.

Will TfNSW create more of these facilities?

Never-say-never, but that is not our plan!  The Courier Hub was setup as a trial and proof of concept. We are happy when people come in, test their operating concepts are successful and then leave to go off to set up their own facility.

While space is limited, we encourage new and innovative concepts for optimising the use of the facility.

What space does it use?

The Hub has repurposed a disused wash bay in the entrance of the car park – it occupies about 130 metres square 

What are the constraints?

The biggest constraint on the Hub is the 1.95m entrance height into the car park. This means it is difficult to get larger vehicles in.  If large vehicles could get in then it is unlikely we would have enough space for several trucks/operators to unload and store good for the days’ deliveries.

Article from the Sydney Morning Herald (January 2018)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/this-wheels-on-fire--the-small-measures-keeping-sydneys-cbd-in-deliveries-20180114-h0i1dj.html

A video of the space can be found here:
https://mysydneycbd.nsw.gov.au/news/courier-hub-helping-ease-cbd-congestion

Enter the Transport for NSW Last Mile Freight Innovation Challenge at https://opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au/last-mile-freight-innovation-challenge