The city is growing rapidly. Many new homes, residents, and businesses are coming in. This also means: more trucks, vans, and delivery services on the streets. If we do nothing, the city will become congested. Therefore, The Hague wants goods to be transported more efficiently, cleaner, and safer.

Councilor Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition, Mobility, and Resources):

“We need to move away from the idea that every delivery or construction delivery automatically has to enter the neighborhood with a large bus or truck. By organizing logistics differently with local hubs, transport over water, and smart routes, we keep the city safe, livable, and accessible. There is a great need to tackle this together now.”

What are we going to do

Measures are already being taken in different parts of the city. For example, the municipality will start a trial this year in Fahrenheitstraat and Denneweg. Companies will soon be able to reserve a loading and unloading spot via an app. This prevents trucks from stopping in busy places, for example during the morning rush hour when many children cycle to school. This makes the street safer and more organized.

Also, on Denneweg, the municipality is working with retailers and residents on a plan to bundle deliveries smarter. Hospitality businesses will receive their orders via one route instead of from five different suppliers. This saves trips and mess on the street. Additionally, a trial with a package locker in the bike parking is being set up, so residents have fewer delivery vans at their doors.

It is also being considered whether more use can be made of transport over water. In the project 'Save the Quays', the municipality is investigating with the province of South Holland which materials - such as construction waste or sand - can be transported by boat instead of by trucks. It is also being looked at which quays are suitable for loading and unloading this type of transport. This literally frees up space on the road.

In construction projects, The Hague will better plan and bundle materials. Think of a temporary collection point just outside the neighborhood, from where goods are brought to the construction site all at once. This reduces the number of heavy trucks driving through residential areas. For areas like Binckhorst and Zuidwest, the municipality is investigating where such 'construction hubs' can be established and how they can work with electric construction equipment.

Finally, the municipality will better measure and monitor how logistics work in the city. Together with organizations like TNO and CBS, smart ways to visualize traffic flows are being explored, so that policies and measures can be continuously adjusted as needed. Progress will be shared annually through the municipality's Climate Dashboard.