Curbside management company Grid Smarter Cities has been named the first-ever recipient of the Future of Parking Award at the British Parking Awards, held recently in London.
The award recognizes Grid’s Kerb Delivery platform, an innovative solution designed to help freight drivers book curbside loading slots in advance. By enabling scheduled access to loading bays, the system helps eliminate idling, reduce road congestion, and improve safety across busy urban areas.
Judges praised the platform as a forward-thinking approach to parking provision, particularly in the complex logistics environment of modern cities.
“The curbside remains the wild west of parking and loading, with the first-come-first served situation leading to unnecessary congestion, pollution and inefficiencies,” said Toby Hiles, sales and partnerships director at Grid Smarter Cities.
“Our solution, which we’ve successfully implemented first with the forward-thinking London Borough of Southwark, is solving the issue and putting both the local authorities and logistics companies in control. That means authorities take care of their road space and logistics companies of their delivery schedules. We are thrilled the judges recognized the real value Kerb delivers, especially as we were up against other top-quality ideas,” Hiles added.
The Kerb Delivery platform is currently in use across multiple London boroughs, operating in both physical bays and Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs). VLBs are entirely digital and require no physical signage, making them a cost-effective and flexible solution. These bays are available at specific times in agreed locations, often in areas where loading is normally prohibited, allowing operators to load or unload without incurring fines.
In addition, Grid has developed a two-sided e-ink digital curbside sign that integrates with the platform to display booking details, including vehicle registration and time slot, further enhancing enforcement and efficiency.
