London, UK: Maintaining the extension of delivery hours is vital for recovery from the Covid-19 outbreak, says the FTA.
“With ‘non-essential retail’ opening from 15 June 2020, and the government’s active travel plans coming to fruition, continued flexibility in delivery times will be essential to meet soaring demand for products while respecting social distancing rules,” the association says.
Elizabeth de Jong, policy director, FTA, says: “FTA campaigned successfully for delivery hours to be extended to strengthen the resilience of the supply chain during the pandemic; now, we are urging government to continue the relaxation as the nation emerges from lockdown to support economic and societal recovery from Covid-19.
“With ‘non-essential retail’ units permitted to open next week, we expect to see demand for products increase significantly; continued flexible delivery hours will allow logistics businesses to stock shops safely and efficiently while keeping up with demand. And with government plans to reallocate road space to cyclist and walkers, extended delivery hours will be needed due to restricted access. Logistics remains vital to supporting the nation through the pandemic and rebuilding the economy; government must not restrict its ability to do so.”
