Alleviating traffic congestion around our cities; how can supply chains address the issue?

Traffic congestion is causing increasing concern in many cities around the world. The use of motor vehicles is rapidly growing, often leading to an increase in demand for urban road use without there being sufficient capacity to accommodate it, causing lengthy delays and contributing to a number of serious local, regional and atmospheric issues. Concern is shared by both society and supply chains, who whilst contributing towards the issue also suffer because of its existence, and a number of differing solutions are emerging. This research examines the current body of literature to highlight a number of strategic measures that supply chains might utilise in order to tackle the issue of traffic congestion. The extensive multidisciplinary source material included in this review ranges from academic articles in the fields of production management, transport, industrial marketing, and employment and society, to government policy documents on town planning, climate change and workforce management, and is drawn together to contribute a unique high-level view and insight into the issue. Possible measures, such as changes in attitude towards JIT, coopetition, increasing home deliveries and challenging traditional working practices are all discussed.

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