Industry

Transport & logistics

As a transport and logistics organization, it’s important that you deliver a high-quality service, on time, no matter what the circumstances. Our transport and logistics standards can help you to implement the right systems, policies, procedures and controls to build an efficient, reliable and safe international logistics network. They can also help you minimize your environmental impacts in areas such as your building infrastructure, network design, fleet management and employee engagement – saving you money.

Helping you deliver a fast and reliable service

Learn how standards can support your transport and logistic operations

How standards shape the future of transport
Article

How standards shape the future of transport

The future of transport (FoT) has the potential to provide greater convenience to citizens, reduce carbon emissions, pollution and congestion. Dynamic, on-demand and automated approaches to transport provision can work alongside traditional transport modes to plug gaps in ‘last and first mile’ transport and logistics provision.  New approaches to mobility will enable individuals to plan and buy travel options from a range of multi-modal service providers, tailored to their needs. Services include: Public transport, car sharing, private hire, parking, taxis, bicycle hire, walking, emerging mobility modes including scooters, and connected autonomous vehicles, as well as private vehicles. FoT serves to address personal needs that can mix car ownership with access to more sustainable alternatives through efficient use of shared public, community, and private services.  The Future of Transport is set to be ever more connected, with innovation across multiple modes of transport, between services providers, and beyond mobility itself. This creates its own challenges, from new commercial models, changed payment relationships, to data privacy, security and interoperability.  Standardization will play a crucial role in delivering the next generation of private vehicles, passenger services, and their integration with the wider transport system. The Importance of System Interoperability and Data Exchange Successful take-up of new transport services depends very much on providing accurate and easy-to-use personalized services, that hide the complex relationships between the many service providers and ecosystem.  These include transport providers, service aggregators, payment agencies, professional associations, regional transport agencies, and local authorities, each with a different role in the market, operating within government regulation.  Ubiquitous, interconnected modes of transport rely on interoperability of systems across and between the transport modes and their operators and users. This interoperability depends as much on the policies and practices of the actors in FoT as the technology. There are, however, many actors involved with the deployment and operation of transport-related services; this creates fragmentation and barriers to data exchange, which may block FoT development. Standards support system interoperability and data exchange in several ways, including:  Agreed specifications for the structure, content, and exchange of information  Agreed definitions and classification of data types  Agreed organization practices for the creation, exchange, and use of data This range of topics is important to consider, as system interoperability is often limited by a combination of these factors. Organizational procedures can be a far greater block on data exchange than technological factors such as data formats.  As automotive manufacturers make progress on autonomous, electric, and connected vehicle technologies, frameworks such as BS ISO 21219 series and PAS 1881, will play an increasingly important role. The industry needs consensus on standards and best practices to ensure effective interoperability if intelligent vehicles are to reach their full potential. To learn more on the topic of connected and autonomous vehicles, click here. Standards that Support the Future of Transport In the same way that real change requires a holistic approach to issues such as decarbonisation, traffic congestion, and road safety, standards increasingly take a 'systems' approach and draw upon cross-sector knowledge to tackle problems and challenges. BSI has been working closely with the UK government's Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to create a series of PAS standards to support safe trialling and development of automated vehicles in the UK. PAS 1883, published in August 2020, sets out a taxonomy for describing the intended operational design domains (ODD) of an automated driving system (ADS) – a key piece of work to ensure developers and trialling organisations can communicate the safe operating conditions of their ADS including the physical environment, accurately and consistently. This will help reduce confusion in relation to vehicle capability and suitability for given environments. Still in development, PAS 1882 and PAS 1884 will look at data collection requirements during trials to support forensic investigation and safety driver training and competencies respectively - both areas of significant interest for the legal and insurance communities. The role of data in supporting safety improvements and performance benchmarking is considered by some in this space as key to public acceptance of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies and wider deployment. The changes to the transport and logistics supply chain are significant and bring a host of new opportunities as well as a range of new challenges. With a BSI Knowledge subscription, you will have the flexibility and visibility to manage the key standards you need in order to work with confidence and optimize your supply chain. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our pre-built modules and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more. Add all these standards to your collection today.Read more
What role do biofuels have on the road to net zero?
Article

What role do biofuels have on the road to net zero?

Transport accounts for 27% of all UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so a reduction is crucial if we are to meet the nation’s net zero goals. A huge amount of research and innovation has gone into the search for sustainable biofuels that could reduce carbon emissions from private and commercial transport. However, with electric vehicles increasingly seen as the main route to decarbonizing private transport, is there any role left for biofuels? What are biofuels? It is estimated that biofuels could save an average of 83% of GHG emissions compared to fossil fuels. However, only 2% of biofuels are currently used for transportation. 80% are used for residential heating and 18% in industry. Both fossil fuels and biofuels are made from organic material biomass (the remains of plants and animals). Whilst the finite supply of fossil fuels has taken millions of years to form, biofuels can be produced in a much shorter time span. Furthermore, biofuels emit just 39kg of CO2 per megajoule of energy generated, compared to 75.1kg for fossil fuels. The Committee on Climate Change says, “There is no universal answer to the question as to whether biomass is low carbon.” This is because there is a wide range of different biofuels, the science behind their production is evolving rapidly and the methods of production determine the carbon footprint. Four generations of biofuel Biofuels can be categorized into four generations of biofuel. The first generation is made from food crops such as wheat and sugar, which is converted into gas or liquid and blended with conventional fuel such as petrol or diesel to reduce its carbon content. The production of first-generation biofuel is well established, but altogether relies on roughly 2-3% of the global water and land used for agriculture. The second generation of biofuels is made from non-food crops and residue from forestry and agriculture, such as straw, grass and fast-growing woody crops. This avoids conflict with food production and makes use of waste streams from other industries. The third generation is made from specially modified energy crops like grass, algae, and engineered microorganisms. Any CO2 resulting from production is captured directly, and the production does not require any change in land use. These biofuels can be processed into a range of fuels, including diesel, petrol, and jet fuel. They also have potential to be carbon neutral. The most recent generation of biofuels (the fourth generation), not only generate sustainable energy, but capture and store CO2. Biomass raw materials are processed into fuel using similar processes to generations two and three but absorb CO2 during the growth process – making them carbon negative. Do biofuels have a future in the transport industry? Achieving net zero will require all passenger vehicles to transition to clean fuels, and in the UK, a switch to electric vehicles (EVs) has been the key focus of government policy. In 2023, a new £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund was announced, alongside £15 million in funding for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme. However, heavy investment in electric vehicle infrastructure does not mean that biofuels have no role to play in road transport decarbonization. The UK government has been warned by the House of Commons Transport Committee not to ‘put all its eggs in one basket’ through overreliance on EVs to reduce transport-related carbon emissions. Is there a sustainable, equitable fuel alternative? The House of Commons Transport Committee’s ‘Fuelling the Future’ report argues that alternative fuel vehicles could provide a ‘socially equitable’ alternative for motorists. Either for those unable to purchase an electric vehicle, or for those living in rural or isolated communities beyond the reach of charging infrastructure. There is also an argument that scrapping the nation’s current car stock to replace them with EVs also comes at a cost in materials and embedded carbon. Biofuels could help to reduce the impact of cars without sending them to the scrapheap prematurely. The Committee also recommends that the UK government move beyond its ‘deliberately technology agnostic’ approach for the rest of the transport network. While the rail network is moving towards electrification, there could be a role for biofuels in aviation, maritime, and heavy goods vehicles. The use of biofuels to power heavy goods vehicles is already fairly advanced. Their weight and distance travelled makes frequent battery charging impractical, and some businesses have already transitioned to biofuels. One high-profile example is the Mercedes Formula 1 freight fleet which has switched to biofuels, saving 88% on emissions. Jersey has adopted vegetable oil-based biofuels for more than 37% of its vehicles, with a plan to phase out combustion engines entirely in coming years. Aldi has also announced that biomethane-powered HGVs will be used in its UK fleet. The aviation and maritime industries will also see a transition to alternative fuels over time, as batteries are likely to prove too heavy and too carbon intensive to produce at the scale required. Synthetic fuels and biofuels could well be set to take up the slack. How can standards help improve transport sustainability? Standards have a vital role to play in supporting innovation and assisting in the application of biofuels. Whether it’s measuring carbon output, finding shared definitions to assist with collaboration or exploring the application of a new technology, standards can help. Standards that may be of interest include: PAS 2060 Specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality BS EN ISO 14064-2 Greenhouse gases - Specification with guidance at the project level for quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal enhancements BS EN ISO 17225-1 Solid biofuels – Fuel specifications and classes – Part 1: General requirements PAS 7060 Electric vehicles. Safe and environmentally conscious design and use of EV batteries Achieving Net Zero in transportation is likely to be the result of a range of different measures, rather than finding a straight single replacement for fossil fuels. While electrification has received much of the recent government attention and infrastructure investment in recent times, biofuels might also have an important role to play. As the technology behind sustainable transport develops and progresses, standards can help find the right balance between biofuels, electrification, and other low-carbon options. Discover BSI Knowledge Over 100,000 internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. Our tailored subscription service allows you to build your own custom collection of standards or opt for access to one of our pre-built modules, keeping you up to date with any changes. With support from a dedicated BSI account manager, our subscription service helps you achieve a more coherent and effective approach to best practice. Request to learn more.
Saving lives: The importance of road safety management standards
Article

Saving lives: The importance of road safety management standards

With road traffic accidents predicted to be the world’s fifth-largest cause of death by 2030, reducing fatalities and serious injury on the roads is of paramount importance. Road traffic safety management (RTS) is a long-term commitment. And the more you invest in it, the more your organization, staff, customers, and the general public will benefit. Many organizations already have policies and procedures in place aimed at reducing occupational road risk, but the implementation of a specific standard in this area should encourage more fleet operators to adopt a comprehensive, focused, and evidence-based approach to reducing road safety risks. In turn, this will benefit society as a whole and all organizations that use the road system, both here and abroad. BS ISO 39001 helps to identify threats to road traffic safety and reduce risks to make way for better performance and ongoing compliance with industry best practices. What is BS ISO 39001 road traffic safety management? BS ISO 39001 standard is designed to help vehicle fleet operators and others such as national governments adopt a structured and holistic approach to managing the risk of death and serious injury from road traffic. The standard sets out a harmonized, best practice method for fleet operators to manage road safety risks. It provides guidance to help you design your own road traffic safety framework – allowing you to bring all relevant controls and processes into one management system.  The consequences of neglecting road traffic safety can be tragic for those involved, with little required to turn a minor incident into a tragic accident.   BS ISO 39001 can also be adapted to organizations of all sizes to help them identify threats to road traffic safety and minimize operational risks. The standard is designed to help you implement a best practice framework in your organization – helping you to meet legal, industry, and stakeholder requirements and at the same time reducing your impact on communities and the environment. To learn about quality management within the transport and logistic sector, click here. The business benefits of tackling occupational road risk The evidence clearly shows that the use of generic health and safety management systems – such as, for example, BS EN ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements – can bring business benefits. These include:  Potentially lower insurance premiums  A robust framework for identifying risks and putting measures in place to mitigate them  Helping organizations to target their resources in the most cost-effective way In addition, experience from around the world shows that large reductions in death and serious injury can be achieved by fleet operators adopting a holistic ‘Safe System’ approach to managing RTS.  The Safe System approach is set out in the new BS ISO 39001 and recommended by all the main international organizations concerned with road safety. It involves organizations placing a clear and unequivocal focus on RTS results and taking evidence-based actions for the interim and long-term, supported by appropriate management resources.  The BS ISO 39001 standard provides a common, agreed best practice management framework for tackling road safety risks, both for governments and fleet operators. It complements existing RTS programs and regulations and sets out harmonized and state-of-the-art requirements for managing fleet safety. These are based on international expertise and are applicable to all countries. The standard is based on a process approach to encouraging continuous improvement, proven by successful standards, such as BS EN ISO 9001.  By adopting the structured, holistic approach set out in BS ISO 39001, organizations should be able to improve their RTS results beyond mere compliance with laws while contributing to society’s wider goal of fewer road injuries and fatalities. The management system specified in BS ISO 39001 is designed to help an organization focus on its RTS objectives and targets and guides the planning of RTS activities. Annex A provides some key guidance on the implementation of the standard, while Annex B describes categories of RTS results, the Safe System approach, and a framework for good practice RTS management and shows how they can be aligned with BS ISO 39001. For fleet operators, for example, BS ISO 39001 helps direct attention to addressing common, system-wide fatal and serious injury risk factors that they can influence. These include addressing areas such as:  Safe speeds Driver impairment by alcohol, drugs, or fatigue Use of appropriate safety equipment, such as seat belts and crash helmets  Safe journey planning To ensure your organization is operating to road traffic safety best practices add standard ISO 39001 to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge Over 100,000 internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. Our tailored subscription service puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's access to standards. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM51 Civil Engineering module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your road safety management strategy. Request to learn more.
Micromobility: What is the current state of legality and regulation for e-scooters?
Article

Micromobility: What is the current state of legality and regulation for e-scooters?

E-scooters have become a common sight in many UK towns and cities. December 2022 saw the publication of the Department for Transport’s National Evaluation of E-Scooter Trials, which intends to inform future micromobility legislation. So what are the key findings, and what’s next for e-scooters in the UK? The e-scooter trials evaluation An independent evaluation of the e-scooter trials, commissioned by the Department for Transport, has now been published, along with an official government response. The evaluation looked at data from July 2020 to December 2021, and found that: 14.5 million rental e-scooter trips took place. E-scooters were increasingly being used for “purposeful journeys” such as commuting. As trials matured, there was a progressive increased mode shift away from private vehicles. E-scooters were providing new travel options for some people, with those from ethnic minority groups and on low incomes more likely to use them regularly. The majority of residents in trial areas were positive towards e-scooters. Points of learning for e-scooters The government also acknowledged the following learning points, which will shape future legislation: The frequency of collisions was higher than for pedal cycles in 2021, though this was probably partly due to the novelty of e-scooters. There were design concerns around audibility, visibility and acceleration. There were concerns about rider behaviour, with pavement riding a particular issue for pedestrians with mobility or vision impairments. The government has already used certain findings to make changes to the e-scooter trials, including introducing mandatory identification numbers for rental scooters and increasing guidance to operators around helmet usage. The current regulatory framework for e-scooters Micromobility vehicles or ‘powered transporters’, such as e-scooters, Segways, hoverboards, and even powered unicycles, are lauded for their potential to provide an environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to cars in our congested cities. Yet currently, unlike electrically-assisted bicycles and mobility scooters, they are categorized as ‘mechanically propelled vehicles’ under the Road Traffic Act 1988, making them subject to the same licensing, insurance and registration requirements as cars. However, in practice, it is impossible to fulfill these requirements. Therefore, while it is legal to buy and sell e-scooters, it remains illegal to ride them on the roads, cycle paths or pavements unless part of an approved rental trial. Those caught riding private scooters anywhere other than on private land face penalties including fines and points on their driving licence. Ongoing e-scooter trials In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department for Transport accelerated its plans to review micromobility legislation. It launched a consultation, to which BSI and its technical committee contributed, as well as e-scooter trials across England. Operators of these trials, some of which are ongoing, are subject to strict rules around insurance and scooter design, while riders must have at least a provisional driving licence. It remains illegal to ride private e-scooters on public roads, to ride any e-scooters on the pavement, to carry passengers, or to allow children to ride. Addressing the sustainability of e-scooters Meanwhile, the e-scooter industry is also taking steps to address sustainability concerns around the manufacture, management, usage and disposal of e-scooters, all of which produce greenhouse gases. In the early days of the industry, the average lifespan of a rental e-scooter was reported to be a matter of months. As their manufacture consumes energy and raw materials, this meant that the carbon footprint per ride was high, raising questions about their true environmental credentials. Now one major operator, Voi, has published a third-party report demonstrating that it has improved its design and maintenance practices, raising the average lifespan of an e-scooter to 4.6 years, with the battery lasting 3.7 years. Its latest new model is estimated to last five years. Furthermore, there have long been criticisms that people largely use e-scooters instead of walking, cycling or taking public transport. However, the independent survey for the Department for Transport found that the modal shift away from cars improved as the trials matured. At the beginning, just 12% of respondents said they would have made their e-scooter trip by private vehicle if a scooter had not been available. By the end, that figure was 21%. And a report on the Lime-operated hire scheme in Salford, Greater Manchester, found that around half of riders had taken a trip on an e-scooter for which they would previously have travelled by car or taxi. E-scooters: the next steps It is probable that e-scooters will soon be legalised in the UK. Many people believe that micromobility vehicles should be regulated in line with e-bicycles, with additional restrictions around speed, power, weight and so on. However, pertinent questions remain. How could rental schemes be integrated into the public transport system to provide that all-important ‘first and last mile’ solution and encourage people out of their cars? How do we protect road users when it comes to legalizing private scooters or allowing people without driving licences to ride them? How can we ensure that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged by e-scooters parked – or ridden – on pavements? BSI will continue to contribute to the development of regulations and safety standards in this area. In the meantime, two BSI standards are relevant: BS EN 15194:2017 Cycles. Electrically power assisted cycles. EPAC Bicycles BS EN 17128:2020 Light motorized vehicles for the transportation of persons and goods and related facilities and not subject to type-approval for on-road use. Personal light electric vehicles (PLEV). Requirements and test methods Discover BSI Knowledge Over 100,000 internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. Our tailored subscription service allows you to build your own custom collection of standards or opt for access to one of our pre-built modules, keeping you up to date with any changes. With support from a dedicated BSI account manager, our subscription service helps you achieve a more coherent and effective approach to best practice. Request to learn more.

Key Transport & Logistics Standards

Browse or Search our Transport & Logistics Standards Catalogue

Trending Topics in Transport & Logistics

Latest Transport & Logistics Standards

Browse or Search our Transport & Logistics Standards Catalogue